A manual gearbox means you shift gears yourself using a clutch pedal. It often feels more engaging because you control when the engine revs and which gear you’re in.
An extended warranty is extra coverage that helps pay for repairs after the normal warranty ends. In this story, it covered some specific problems the car had.
Bushings are the “soft mounts” inside the suspension that help parts move smoothly and quietly. If they wear out, the car can feel off and the fix can be pricey. This segment highlights that the Countach uses a lot of them.
Heim joints are metal ball-and-socket style joints used in some suspension setups. They help suspension parts move in a controlled way with less “rubber squish.” In this segment they’re part of the Countach’s complicated suspension linkage system.
They’re talking about sending the shocks out to a specialist shop. That’s common when parts need rebuilding instead of just swapping them. Penske is one of the names they throw out.
Company
Coney
They’re naming a shop that likely rebuilt or serviced the shocks. The exact company name is a bit uncertain in the transcript, but the idea is that specialists handle the job. Coney is one of the options they mention.
“Full suspension” means working on the whole set of parts that connect the wheels to the car. Instead of fixing one broken piece, they’re refreshing everything so the car drives correctly.
The hubs are the parts the wheel mounts to, and they’re closely related to the wheel bearings. If they’re cleaned and put back correctly, the wheel can spin smoothly and stay tight.
The Countach is a famous Lamborghini supercar known for its bold, unusual design. In the episode, it’s mentioned as part of a comparison about which car would be addressed first. The main point is that it’s an iconic, highly recognizable supercar.
Tie rod ends are small steering parts that help connect the steering wheel to the front wheels. If they’re worn or not installed yet, the steering won’t feel right and the tires can wear unevenly.
In a shop context, “inventory” refers to cataloging which parts and fasteners are on hand before assembly. A thorough inventory helps prevent delays from missing hardware like nuts, bolts, or small brackets that can stall a rebuild.
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car with a very unusual look, including a stainless-steel body. In the episode, the speaker talks about buying one as a personal milestone gift. It’s mentioned because it has a strong identity and story behind it.
PTS usually means “custom paint to match a sample.” If you order a car with that kind of custom paint, it can take much longer to get built and delivered.
The Porsche Cayenne is a Porsche SUV, meaning it’s a bigger vehicle meant for daily driving and carrying people or gear. People talk about it because it still aims to feel sporty, not just like a regular family SUV. In the episode, it’s mentioned because the exact car they wanted took extra time to get.
The Aston Martin Vantage S is a smaller, sportier Aston Martin. In this segment, the host says the inside is very similar to the DB12S because they share a lot of interior parts.
Car
Aston Martin DB12S
The Aston Martin DB12S is a luxury, long-distance cruiser. Here, the host is basically saying it feels similar to a related Aston Martin, but the DB12S gives you a bit more room for your legs.
The Aston Martin DB12 Volante is the convertible (drop-top) version of the DB12 family, aimed at buyers who want the same grand-touring vibe with open-air driving. The host uses it as a reference point, saying the coupe-like seating position and cabin look can feel similar unless you specifically want the drop-top experience.
An embargo is basically a “don’t talk about it yet” rule for car reviews. When they say it’s off, it means reviewers are finally allowed to post their thoughts on that specific version.
The Nissan Z is a sports car meant to feel fun and engaging to drive. In this segment, the host talks about the manual version and how Nissan updated it based on what drivers complained about.
They’re using brake rotors taken from the GT-R. Rotors are the parts the brake pads squeeze to slow the car down, and the GT-R parts are known for handling heat better.
The GT-R is Nissan’s high-performance sports car. In the episode, they talk about parts from the R35 GT-R, specifically brakes, and how lighter brake components can help the car respond better. It’s mentioned because it’s a performance-focused platform.
Unsprung weight is the car’s weight that the suspension doesn’t directly support. If you reduce it, the wheels can move more easily over bumps, which helps the car stay planted.
Retuning steering means adjusting how the steering feels and responds. The idea is to make it easier to place the car accurately, including when driving hard.
Fuel starvation is when the engine briefly doesn’t get enough fuel. On a track, the car’s movement can make the fuel slosh away from the pickup, so the fix is about keeping fuel available even when the tank is low.
Baffling is stuff inside the fuel tank that helps stop the fuel from sloshing around too much. That helps the engine keep getting fuel during hard driving.
Throttle mapping is how the car translates your gas pedal input into engine response. Different mapping can make the car feel more immediate or smoother when you press the pedal.
The clutch system includes parts that let you smoothly connect and disconnect the engine from the transmission. A pressure plate clamps everything together, and the host says this car uses a special clutch setup for this manual model.
Gearbox mounts hold the transmission to the car. If they’re reinforced, the transmission moves less under load, which can make the car feel tighter and help it last longer when driven hard.
Spring weight means how heavy the suspension springs are. Lighter springs can help the suspension react faster when the tires hit bumps or track surface changes.
“Sequential” means the gears go in order—one step at a time—rather than using a classic gate-style shift pattern. They’re wondering if the shifter they saw could be for a future sequential transmission.
The BMW M2 is a small BMW that’s built for driving hard—quick, agile, and fun. In this discussion, it’s the yardstick for whether the Nissan Z Nismo is actually competitive.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a well-known American performance sports car. They’re using it as a comparison point for what buyers might choose instead of the Nissan Z Nismo.
The Toyota Supra is a sports car that’s famous for being quick, especially with power upgrades. Here they’re saying the Nissan Z Nismo may feel better in normal driving, even if the Supra can be made faster with modifications.
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse is a more hardcore version of the Mustang. They’re talking about how it can be quicker on a track, but how that doesn’t always mean it’s as good for everyday driving.
Lap times are the measured time it takes to complete one circuit of a track. The hosts use lap times as the metric that supports the case for certain transmission choices, while arguing that track speed doesn’t always equal better everyday road behavior.
Paddle shifters are the little levers on the steering wheel that let you change gears without a manual shifter. They’re debating whether that matters mainly for track lap times or for how the car feels on the road.
The Miata is a small two-seat convertible made for driving enjoyment. It’s known for being light and easy to drive, so it feels quick even without being a huge, powerful car. The podcast mentions it as a baseline for where performance starts to get serious.
Auto rev matching helps the engine speed match the gear you’re selecting when you downshift. It makes downshifts smoother and less jerky, especially when driving quickly.
Traction control helps prevent the wheels from spinning when you accelerate. It can be useful on track, but if it’s too aggressive it can make the car feel less “raw” to drive.
Stability control is designed to help the car stay under control if it starts to slide or steer away from where you’re aiming. It uses sensors and can brake individual wheels to help correct the situation.
Drive modes are buttons that change how the car behaves. In this case, the host likes that the car doesn’t overwhelm you with lots of different settings.
The Porsche Boxster is mentioned as an example from the host’s own experience. They’re using it to show that some cars only change one thing with a button, rather than many different modes.
Cylinder deactivation is when the engine shuts off some cylinders to save fuel. Turning it off keeps the engine firing normally, which can feel smoother and more predictable when you’re driving hard.
PDK is Porsche’s automatic-style gearbox that shifts very fast using two clutches. The host is saying cars with PDK often have more configurable behavior than manual cars.
“Rear grip” means how well the back tires can hold the road. If the rear has a lot of grip, the car feels more stable; if it doesn’t, it’s easier for the back end to slide.
The BMW M2 CS is a sharper, more performance-focused version of the M2. In this discussion, it’s mentioned because it’s easier to make it start sliding quickly compared with the Z.
Term
SP Sport Max
“SP Sport Max” is a specific type of Dunlop performance tire. Different tire models grip and handle differently, so the exact model helps explain the car’s feel.
The R32 GT-R is a famous old-school Nissan sports car. They’re comparing steering wheel size and feel, saying this car’s wheel is “just right” the way that one is.
Dampers are the shock absorbers that control how the suspension moves. The right setup helps the tires stay planted, which makes the car feel more controlled.
Car
Ford Dark Horse
The Ford Dark Horse is a very performance-focused Mustang. They’re saying it’s quick and grips well, but it doesn’t feel as connected or precise in steering as they’d like.
Term
steering is like super digital
They mean the steering doesn’t feel smooth and natural—it feels more artificial or abrupt. It can make the car feel less communicative about what the tires are doing.
They’re talking about how accurately the car follows your steering inputs. It’s about predictability—how well it stays composed when you’re pushing it.
Term
rear control
“Rear control” means how stable the car feels at the back when you accelerate or change inputs. If the rear has good control, it’s less likely to start spinning or sliding unexpectedly.
Lift-off oversteer is when you let off the gas and the car starts to rotate more than you expect, often making the rear feel like it wants to slide. It’s a balance/grip change caused by engine braking.
Akebono calipers are the parts that squeeze the brake pads against the rotors. Better calipers can help the brakes feel stronger and stay consistent when you brake hard more than once.
A vented brake rotor has channels that help it cool down faster. That matters because brakes can get less effective when they overheat, especially with repeated hard stops.
The Cayman is a Porsche sports car with two seats and a hard roof. It’s built to feel sporty and handle well, and it’s often considered a close cousin to another Porsche roadster. In the episode, it’s mentioned because it matched the speaker’s criteria right away.
“E-pass system” is the car’s electronic power steering setup. Retuning it can change how the steering feels and responds, which affects confidence when you’re driving hard.
Shocks are what help the car absorb bumps and stay stable when you’re turning hard. Changing them can make the ride and handling feel more controlled, especially on track or aggressive drives.
Here, “programming” means changing the car’s computer settings. Even without new hardware, software updates can make the car feel different and better.
They’re comparing this car to an Aston Martin model to talk about how the driving feel compares. In this part, the focus is mostly on the seat and how it behaves under hard driving.
Recaro makes performance car seats. The host is saying the seat may look like it shifts a bit on camera, but that can be by design to help keep you supported when the car is pulling hard.
“High G loads” means the car is pulling so hard that your body feels much heavier than normal. The host is saying the seat is designed to handle that kind of stress without feeling unsafe.
The Lancer Evolution is a fast Mitsubishi sedan designed for strong grip, especially when driving hard. In the episode, they say it’s not meant to be a pure race car, but a street car that still feels sporty. They also mention the supportive seats that come in these cars.
They bring up the Porsche 911 GT3 because it’s known for very race-like seats. The host is saying this car’s seat is less extreme than a GT3 bucket seat, but still holds you well.
The Corolla is a very common Toyota compact car that many people use for everyday driving. In the episode, someone notices a Corolla that sounds louder than normal and has modified wheels. It’s an example of a regular car being customized.
The TSX is an Acura sedan, meaning it’s a normal car for daily driving with a sportier feel than some basic models. In the episode, they talk about seeing one that was lowered and sounded loud. It’s mentioned because it stood out visually and audibly.
Trail braking means you’re still lightly braking while you start turning into a corner. It helps the car grip and turn in more smoothly, especially when conditions are tricky.
Car
Jaguar XJ12
The Jaguar XJ12 is an older Jaguar that’s famous for having a big V12 engine. If the hood is popped, it’s often because something needs checking or fiddling with.
The XJ-S is a Jaguar coupe, meaning it’s a two-door car designed for comfortable, longer-distance driving. In the episode, they mention related Jaguar model names to explain the car’s history. The focus is on how the model line fits together.
A Landau roof is a decorative roof covering that gives a car a more classic, upscale look. Here, they’re talking about people adding it after the fact, and they’re not impressed with how some of those conversions are done.
Aftermarket just means something was added or replaced after the car left the factory. In this case, it’s about adding a Landau-style roof later instead of it being built that way.
An automatic transmission shifts gears by itself. They’re comparing cars with automatic setups versus a manual setup, which affects how the car drives.
A powertrain is the big mechanical stuff that makes the car move—engine and the drivetrain parts. They’re saying this Jaguar has a Corvette drivetrain installed, which is a serious modification.
When they say “daily,” they mean a car you drive every day. They’re saying that if you use it regularly (and especially if it’s an EV/hybrid), you can avoid some wear that happens when you only do short trips.
EV chargers are the devices you plug into to charge an electric car’s battery. They’re saying they’ve got chargers available, which makes owning an EV easier day-to-day.
A V12 is a type of engine with 12 cylinders. It usually feels smooth and sounds special, and here they’re pointing out that this Jaguar has a V12 plus a manual transmission.
Wiring is the car’s electrical “cables and connections.” If wiring in areas like the doors or under the dashboard goes bad, you can get weird problems even if the engine itself still runs.
NISMO is Nissan’s performance brand. When the host says “Nismo Z,” they mean a Nissan Z that’s been tuned and developed for driving excitement, not just regular transportation.
The Nissan Skyline is a famous Nissan model name, especially among car fans. The host brings it up as an example of the kind of product lineup Nissan could use to attract enthusiasts again.
The Nissan Xterra is an SUV that’s known for being more rugged and off-road friendly than many mainstream SUVs. In this episode it’s brought up as one of the models Nissan is using to win buyers back.
EVs are electric cars that run on electricity from a battery. The host is saying Nissan didn’t focus heavily on EVs, and that timing matters given what people are thinking about right now.
The Nissan Armada is a big family SUV. The host says they were driven in the new one and ended up liking it more than expected, especially for a longer trip.
The Escalade is a big luxury SUV from Cadillac. In the episode, they mention the Escalade V, which is a more extreme version of the SUV. They’re talking about how the car can come in different trims and packages.
All-weather floor mats are made to deal with wet or dirty conditions. They’re typically tougher than regular carpet mats so they protect your car’s floor.
Bentley is referenced here in the context of “Bentley sheepskin” floor mats, implying a premium, luxury-branded accessory. The discussion is about how well those sheepskin mats held up in real use.
WeatherTech makes aftermarket floor mats/liners that are built to protect your car’s interior. The hosts are saying they’re a good option when you want something durable.
The Golf is a compact car that’s common and easy to live with. In the episode, they’re talking about trying a front-wheel-drive performance version to understand how it feels to drive. The Golf is used as a starting point for that comparison.
The Fiesta is a small Ford car. In the episode, they mention the Fiesta ST, which is the sportier version, and say that if you find a good one it can be a great choice. The focus is on finding a well-kept example.
The 205 GTI is an older European hatchback that was made to be faster and more fun than a basic version. In the episode, they talk about finding or importing one as part of a list of cool vintage performance cars. It’s mentioned because it’s a classic “hot hatch” people seek out.
The Peugeot 205 CTI is a small European hatchback that was made to be more fun than a regular commuter car. In the episode, it’s mentioned as part of a list of older “hot” versions people look for. The point is that it’s a vintage performance model.
The BMW 230i is a BMW 2 Series car. Here it’s mentioned because the host is talking about what to set up in a brand-new car before heading out on a long trip.
Apple CarPlay lets you connect your iPhone to the car and use certain apps on the car’s screen. The host is saying it’s worth figuring out where the shortcuts/icons are before you leave.
An individual drive mode is a way to personalize how the car feels. Instead of just picking one preset like “sport,” you can tailor the settings to what you like.
Radar cruise control is cruise control that can slow down or speed up to match the traffic in front of you. The host is saying to learn the button differences before you’re on the highway.
ADAS settings are the configuration options for Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems—features that use sensors/cameras to help with tasks like lane keeping and collision avoidance. The host recommends setting these preferences before leaving so the car behaves the way you want.
Lane keep is a feature that tries to keep the car in its lane by steering a little. The host recommends setting it the way you like before you start your trip.
Hot buttons are shortcut buttons you can set for functions you use a lot. The idea is to program them so you can change things quickly without hunting through settings.
A restomod is an older car that gets modern upgrades. It keeps the classic style, but tries to drive and feel better like a newer car. They’re talking about whether people would pay for a restomod of a very rare Lamborghini.
A unibody means the car’s body and frame are built as one single structure. If you’re trying to build a new version of a classic car, you can’t just bolt on upgrades—you may need to design that whole structure. That’s why they say it would be very hard and expensive.
A VIN number is like a car’s unique ID code. They’re saying you could use it to track down the right donor car for a project.
Company
Steve Maxwell
Steve Maxwell is brought up as the kind of expert you’d hire to build a highly modified classic car. The idea is that you need a top specialist to make a restomod work well.
The 2009 Honda Civic Si is a sporty version of the Civic that’s meant to be fun to drive. The hosts like it as a first car because it’s engaging with a manual and handles well, without being too intimidating.
The 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH is a front-wheel-drive performance coupe that’s remembered for its sporty driving feel and enthusiast appeal. Here, the hosts specifically talk about its dashboard layout (speedometer positioned low) and how it can feel fast while still being a manageable first-car choice.
Front-wheel drive means the front wheels do the work of both steering and moving the car. Some front-wheel-drive cars can still feel really fun and responsive.
“Split gauges” means the speed/engine gauges are arranged in a separated or unusual way on the dashboard. It can change how easy it is to read your speed while driving.
The Accord is a Honda sedan meant for everyday commuting and family use. In the episode, it’s mentioned in a joking way about how people drive them or what ownership can feel like. The point is more about the car’s everyday presence than specific performance specs.
The Cadillac V16 is an old Cadillac that used a very large engine with 16 cylinders. The episode describes it in a simplified way to explain how extreme it was. It’s mentioned because it’s a rare, interesting engineering concept.
Car
BMW K 1600
The BMW K 1600 is a motorcycle with an inline-six engine. They’re making a fun idea about combining two engines to imagine a huge V12.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG is a faster, sportier Mercedes with a V8 engine. They’re comparing it to a Porsche 911 (996) for a convertible, and they’re basically saying the Mercedes can be more relaxed for cruising, while the Porsche feels more like a true sports car.
The CLK is a Mercedes luxury car, usually a coupe, designed for comfortable driving. In the episode, they mention it as a better option for having people sit in the back compared with another sports car. The point is about practicality and comfort.
The Bronco is a Ford SUV built for off-road driving and rough terrain. In the episode, they talk about whether a hybrid version would be offered and whether people would want it. It’s a discussion about what kind of engines the Bronco might use in the future.
The F-150 is a large pickup truck made for hauling, towing, and everyday driving. In the episode, they discuss the idea of offering a hybrid version and whether enough people would buy it. The focus is on whether the hybrid plan makes sense for sales.
“Hybrid pitch” means the reason a company gives for why you should buy a hybrid. In this case, they’re saying the sales pitch is about using the truck to power tools.
The Wrangler is a Jeep SUV designed for off-road driving. In the episode, they talk about hybrid versions and whether Wrangler fans were asking for that change. The point is about matching new technology to what the buyers want.
The GR Corolla is a sporty version of the Corolla, made to be fun and fast. In the episode, they talk about it as a “GRC Corolla” and mention owning one. The focus is on the car being a compact that still feels like a performance machine.
The Chevrolet Vega is an older Chevrolet compact car. In the episode, it’s mentioned as a punchline about who would drive one. The discussion is mainly about the car’s identity, not how it works.
The Nissan Pulsar is an older compact car line. In the episode, they mention the Pulsar GTI as a sportier version and compare it to another older compact. The main point is that it’s a specific kind of enthusiast car.
The Camry is a common Toyota sedan that many people drive for everyday commuting. In the episode, they joke about a car that looks like a Camry but has a different steering wheel arrangement. It’s mentioned because the Camry is easy to recognize.
The Pantera is a well-known performance car. In the episode, it’s used in a fun comparison with music artists, not as a technical topic. The point is that it’s a recognizable, enthusiast-style car.
The Camaro V6 1LE is a Camaro variant meant to handle better on track, even though it’s the V6 version. Here it’s brought up as an example of something that’s popular but gets judged.
The Kia Niro is a small crossover meant for practical daily driving. In the episode, it’s mentioned in a joking or story-like comparison, not as a deep technical topic. The key idea is that it’s a common, efficient-style car people recognize.
LIVE
All right, folks, on this episode of the podcast, my review of the Nismo Z with a manual gearbox,
plus our video up on YouTube. Make sure to check that out. Updates to two of my cars,
and if you're going to represent with a sticker a certain type of group,
you better represent the rest of your car in a positive way. It's the Smoking Tire podcast.
Let's go. Guys, the Smoking Tire is giving away a 992.1 Turbo S in partnership with Dream
Giveaways. We're giving away a $275,000 car with some slick choice mods. The proceeds
benefit charity, and you don't have to buy any merch. It's a straightforward entry process. So
hit the link in the show notes and get entered to win today.
Hi, everybody. Welcome to the program. Talking about how long... I might have a gig at Chuck
Wall and I was talking about if I could take the Taycan. I can't. I have to stop and charge in case
you were wondering. But speaking of which, I'm getting it back tomorrow. It's been in the shop
for 10 days. Now, in fairness, I told them it wasn't a big deal because I had other things to
drive and whatever, and that 10 days did include two weekends. You know what I mean? I dropped it
off on a Friday. We had the three recalls done, but they had to get parts because they're not
greasing the bushings because my suspension was creaky. They are replacing the bushings.
Oh, so maybe it's not a serviceable bushing? Maybe, maybe not. I'm going to pick it up tomorrow
and I'll have a further update on that. That's cool though. Nuevo bushings. So I wonder if that
affects anything else, like how it steers or something. Probably not, but we'll see. Maybe it
will feel different. Maybe it'll feel tighter, but yay extended warranty. That's the first
that and that some little valve in the air conditioning. Those are the only two things
my, my warranty has covered. And it's been about eight months, right? Or no, you got 18.
18 months. I got in December of 2024. Right. Oh, right. Yeah, it's been 18 months. Reliable thing.
Yeah, it's very much is. Yes. So that's all right. But interestingly, I did get the second bill
from Franco's European sports cars on the Coontosh and actual work was done. Well, I,
I bought the bushings through Donnie. So the, the book, the bushing with $13,000.
The bushings for a Coontosh are $13,000. How many bushings are there? So many.
There's a better be. Thank you for asking 13,000 of them. It's all rose joints. It's like basically
like a seventies Lamar car is basically how a Coontosh is set up. Good Lord. And there's a
million bushings. There's a, and there's dual shock. There's look up like the, the diagram of
a Coontosh suspension. There's a lot happening in a Coontosh suspension for real. And so there's,
there's these bushings and they're very hard to come by and they look weird. There's in the,
in that video with Donnie, we pulled them out and looked at them and they look funky.
Well, it's like a cylinder, right? Isn't it?
Normally it looks like a cylinder. These are more like,
they're like, they're moped on multiple angles. Front suspension parts. What does the diagram
from Euro spares look like? Busy. Yeah. It's busy. Yeah, it is busy. The rear is actually even
crazy. The rear is real crazy. But there's lots of bushings and they are, oh my gosh, pop-up city.
There's lots of, lots of bushings and they are really, really effective. Well, I think the ones
we saw, I remember were these. Yeah. It was a lot of, it looks like a cylinder with bushing in the
middle and another little cylinder where the bolt goes through. But I think, are you talking about
like the Heim joints? It's also, yeah. It's also the Heim joints. Yes. It's all that. A lot of the
adjustable things. Yeah. So it's bushings and the Heim joints. So anyway, fortunately those are,
those have come out in the wash long time ago. I forgot about that, that years ago, the price of
the actual bushings. But this bill, this month's bill was, they got the tool to fix the thing. So
they rebuilt the hubs once they had the tool. New fucking bearings in the, or grease all the
bearing, clean everything. Like everything looks and looks nice and new. It's good. And then reassembly
of the suspension and $6,000 more. Reassembling suspension, like they took the shocks apart.
Well, the shocks, yeah, the shocks had gone out for, but that's not in this. Oh, they just put
them together. They just, no. They went out to, go ahead. Penske or Coney, I think, Coney. Which
everyone's in Florida. They go to Florida. They came back. The, I don't believe the cost of them
being rebuilt was in this. This was just putting them on the car. Well, assembling like full, you
know, for the full suspension and the cleaning and reassembly of the hubs. Yeah. But it's like,
it was like 23 hours of work. The hourly rate is expensive for a reason. Yeah. This is an expert
person and for expensive cars. And then like, yeah, when you, it's funny when you take the total
amount paid, if you know the hourly, you can just divide and go, like, okay, that took that long.
Yeah. It's not even that long. Yeah, it's not even that long. No, it's not even that long. Yeah,
yeah. But I don't know how to do it. So it's okay. As everyone will say, you'll get all the money
back if you ever sell it, which you won't. That's in, in theory, yes. But what I really
want is a running, driving car. And so in the meantime, it's just, oh, it's just lighting
money on fire. Oh boy. Oh boy. But it'll be great when we have a running, driving car. That will
be the thing. And then we have to like, go somewhere. What do you think will be done first,
the Kuntosh or the Mercedes? Oh, the Mercedes probably. Probably the Mercedes. Yeah. Because
like, Schaunt is like a fucking man on a mission. Yeah, that's true. He wants to get it done, because
it helps him advertise his shop. But still August and Kuntosh, they have all the parts, right?
For Kuntosh. Yeah, we were missing three parts. We're missing some tie rods ends.
They weren't very expensive. I mean, by normal car standards, you know,
but they weren't like, it wasn't anything horrible. It just crossed the threshold of,
I need to approve this. Yeah, little, little things, nothing, nothing big.
But I'm saying for timeline, is it like, do they have all of the things they need? And it's just
about them scheduling your car with other cars. They haven't found anything else that is missing
yet. There might be little bits of hardware that are missing that they haven't quite got around to.
I'm not sure they inventoried every single like, you know, fastener and nut and bolts,
because those are things that are easy to get. When they did the inventory, I think it was really
a pretty inventory of the important bits, which are there. We're not missing any important bits.
And I'm not trying to pit the shops against each other. There is something funny, though, with like,
on the one side, we have the Kuntosh, which has, as far as we know, most of the parts it needs.
On the other hand, we're putting a whole new engine and transmission into a different car
and widening it and reprogramming the computer so it works. But an interesting race.
And that's happening on the other side of the country.
Then the cars come back here and get a complete repaint, a complete new interior,
a rebuild of the hydraulics on the top. So like, yeah, there's objectively more to do
on the Mercedes. But Chant is on a mission. Now, we could, we should put Damien on a mission.
It's the answer. We need to set up a race, maybe with a little prize, I don't know, something.
Maybe that could help. I think it would just make the bills so much bigger, though. I think we're
still, this is in line with what I'm able to pay. That's fine. Yeah. You know, forgetting this done.
You also don't need the Countach done by Car Week because we're going to Detroit,
having, getting an escalated press car. So like, you don't have a finish line that's required.
I have no, no, no. I'd like, it would be nice if I could drive it like, you know, for my birthday.
But like, if I can't, like, whatever, you know, give me a shit. But you should specify which birthday.
That was, yeah, that's happened a couple of times. That happened with
failure to specify birthday. It's a funny one. Happened with my DeLorean. I, I, I got it for
what was going to be my 30th birthday, but took delivery on my 31st because of the restoration.
Porsche, ordered in August, was going to be for my 40th birthday, sunk in the fucking ocean.
41st birthday. Yeah, it's happened. It's okay. Just got an email from a customer, fucking
unfortunate, or not even a customer actually, a guy who was on our wait list.
And I scrolled back to his original email fucking guy. He emailed me April of 2025.
My new car is coming in April of 2025. My new car is coming in. I'm going to need a spot. Okay.
You know, we'll put you on the list, whatever. You know, let me know when the car comes in.
Three months later, it's been bumped. Three months later, it's been bumped. And then,
and then I didn't turn from him after that to the point where like, when he emailed me again,
like, I didn't even recognize the person's name. Like it's been, who knows how long. And they're
like, Oh, look, there's, there's still been a thing. And it's like, it's, it's a year and a
month later, there's still a hole. I bet you this is some like PTS plus plus something.
Expensive manufacturer thing. Wow. It's a long delay.
Yeah. But, uh, and he was like, I don't even know at this point. I was like, well, you know,
call us back whenever, whenever you find out.
Do you order a Koenigsegg? Like, what is it?
Maybe, I don't know. But, uh, it did take my dad like over, like over a year,
I think, to get his Cayenne because of paint the sample. I mean, it was like during like COVID-ish,
ish COVID-ish times. He ordered it in like 21.
Yeah. They were still catching up. I mean, I think it took a while for the, the industry to
catch up with it. Yeah. What's happening over there? You all right?
Just worried I was going to pull the computer off the desk.
Oh, that would be a problem. Um, but dude, this morning,
do you see the color of the Aston Martin DB12?
Yes. This is not the second day in the row where I've accidentally color coordinated with
an orange Aston Martin, which is something you really feel like an asshole when you realize you've,
like you're getting out of this car and wearing the same color. You really feel very silly.
People generally act on the street favorable towards Aston Martins. I have found that women
don't really like Lamborghini colored Aston Martins because I've seen a couple cringy looks
from women towards me in this car. Whereas, uh, like my friends and neighbors seem to think it's
very cool. Um, but they know you, but they know, they know that you're not, they know me. They
know it's not my car. You know what I mean? So they like, they think it's cool. And, but like,
random on the street went to Abbot Kenny, which for those who don't know LA is like the sort of,
it's the fancy part of Venice. Yeah. But it's not like rodeo drive fancy that it's like,
it's like where there's like Viori and outer known and it's where you could accidentally
spend $200 on a knit cap. Yes. Boutiques. It's boutiques. A yoga shawl. Yeah. It's boutiques
and fancy fancy restaurants that are casual, but somehow are $300 for a meal. But I had to go buy
some, some, some overpriced t-shirts. Uh, and the ladies were out. It was, it was LMU graduation
weekend. So it was like, like LMU girls and their families just everywhere. And, uh, which is fine.
I'm glad the commerce was happening. But, uh, the, the, the, the moms of the girls in particular
were not about, like it was a particular age and brand of white woman that was like at,
at my car in a way that I could see. Well, I wonder if either that age of woman, uh,
you know, her, her, her ex, maybe second ex has an Aston bought an Aston and she hates it. Or maybe
like, I think it is one of the, well, they used to be, be like the more subtly shaped
super car. I think they're, they're classy. They're associated with that. And now they've
gotten very extroverted looking because they need more cooling and all that stuff. Is it that? Or is
it just the orange color? I mean, orange is very bold. Orange You don't see orange cars
very often, even, even within Lamborghini, but outside it. I mean, I can't think of many cars
that are offered in that. Which is a bummer. More cars should come in orange. But straight up.
No, no, more cars. And Aston Martin in orange is a bit of a juxtaposition. Same as the Bentley,
member of an orange Bentley a year ago. True. And like actually, as far as press car goes, like,
shout out to him. Good thumbnail. Like good thumbnail. Like that's what I'm asking for.
Make all the press cars bright orange and lime green and shit. The, the advantage I drove with
the track was orange. Yeah. About it. Yeah. A vantage in orange, I think is less weird than a,
than a DB 12 in orange, which I think is positioned as somehow more elegant, even though it's like,
that's just a nice way to say cost. Yeah, it's the same. What's really crazy to think about.
And I'm, I don't want to talk too much about this car, because I want to, where's Zach's got to
drive it. We're going to review it next week. But a crazy thing to think about and maybe a
positioning for when you go drive it, Zach, folks, support is coming into this episode from
Mac tools. Love Mac tools. You've seen the Mac tools truck at shops before. If you've been around
anyone who's into cars, you know exactly, you can close your eyes and picture what a Mac tools
truck looks like. Well, have you ever thought about actually being the one who owns that route,
meaning that's your Mac truck, you're selling those tools for someone already into cars who's
working on them or in or around shops or at least spending your weekends wrenching on something.
This could be the perfect gig because Mac tools franchisees run their own mobile tool business
selling directly to shops and technicians. It's a relationship business and repeat customers
that you service every week and you're not left to figure it out on your own. They've got an
extensive training program and support to build it the right way as a small business owner myself
who's and I'm not talking about YouTube here. I'm talking about parking cars. Trust me.
One of the best things you could be working right now is a fully analog business that is
absolutely immune to economic conditions and tools and for people who fix things,
things are going to keep breaking, whether it's HVAC or cars or whatever. People need tools and
people will need to sell those people tools just like people will need parking. That's what I do.
Mac has been doing this for over a century and there's a reason it still works. So if you've
thought about doing your own thing in the automotive world, it is worth checking out.
Go to mactools.org slash tire to learn more and see if there's an open root near you.
That's M-A-C-T-O-O-L-S dot org slash tire to learn more. We're also supported today by Butcherbox.
I love me some Butcherbox because it's meat and I love meat. And it's grilling season.
The summer is upon us. You take the cover off the barbecue for a couple of months at a time
and the difference between a good cookout and a great one sometimes comes down to the quality
of your meat and whether or not your mother-in-law is there. Outside of that, it's the meat. But
you can have the best grill set up in the world. But if you're cooking garbage, it's going to show.
That's why I've been rolling with Butcherbox. They deliver premium responsibly sourced meat
right to your door. So you're starting with the good stuff every time. Butcherbox delivers
over 100 premium protein options straight to your door from grass-fed beef to wild caught
seafood. It's all raised and sourced the right way. No antibiotics, no added hormones, no fillers,
just clean, reliable protein. You can feel good serving, especially during grilling season. That
quality, it really matters and better meat means better flavor, fewer mistakes on the grill,
and meals that live up to the moment, whether it's a quick weeknight dinner or a full weekend
count. They sent me some fillets that I did a little reverse sear on. That's where I go
in my convection oven at 200 for about 35 minutes until I get to an internal temperature
in the 120s. And then I get over to the smoking hot cast iron, where I go onto the cast iron
and into the broiler for like five minutes to get that perfect sear on the outside. And it was
absolutely delicious. Salt, pepper, butter, nothing else. And it was a delight. So as an exclusive
offer, new listeners can get their choice between free sirloin ground beef or chicken wings in every
box for life plus 20 bucks off when you go to butcherbox.com slash tire. That's right. Your
choice of free sirloin tips, ground beef or chicken wings in every box for life plus $20 off your
first box and free shipping always. That's butcherbox.com slash tire. And don't forget to use our
link so they know we sent you and supports coming in from quints lately. I've been more intentional
about what I wear day to day. I'm trying to dress better because I have lost a little bit of weight.
I have to buy new clothes. I might as well buy the good stuff, but it's got to be comfortable
because I'm getting in out of cars. I'm crawling around the shop, but I got to be put together
because I'm talking to customers and I'm on camera. It just makes getting dressed simpler.
And quints has been my spring go to the fabrics feel elevated. The fits are clean and everything
just works without needing to overthink it. And quints has all the wardrobe staples for spring.
Think 100% European linen shorts and shirts from 34 bucks, lightweight, breathable and comfortable,
but still put together and clean 100% pima cotton tees with a softness that just has to be felt to
really be appreciated. The pants hit the same balance, relaxed and comfortable, polished enough
to wear pretty much everywhere at 50 to 80% less than what you'd find from similar brands.
Quints works directly with ethical factories, cutting out the middlemen so you're getting
premium materials without the markup. I just got a couple of those linen shirts for the summer.
I had to throw away, not throw, I don't throw away, I donate them, but all these linen shirts,
I had like a dozen of them because I went from a double XL to XL, went with the quints and it is
money. You're going to see me wearing these things all summer because it's about to get
hot in here. And I got like six of them for what it would have cost me normally to get like two.
You can do it too. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head over to quints.com
slash tire for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns now available in Canada too.
That's quints.com slash tire for free shipping and 365 day returns quints.com slash tire.
This car is like almost double the price of the Vantage S. And when you're sitting in the
driver's seat and like looking forward it is... You can't tell. I don't want to say you can't
tell because they do drive different. The DB12S has more legroom, some things like that. Like
there are things that do matter that are different. This is $401,000 and that blue Vantage S we had
that was fucking magnifique. So good. It was like two and a little bit. Like two and a little bit.
And it was like a lot the same. Well there's quite a bit of parts sharing in the interior. That's
what I meant by they look this, they feel the same. And I remember when we had the Vantage S
I looked at that because the last, the last thing we had before that was the DB12 Volante.
And I was, I went, oh this takes the money from that car because unless you want
the drop top and you want people to know that you have the money for the larger car,
like when you sit down unless you're a little bit taller than I am, like it looks the same and you
get to, and it's a good thing for the Vantage. It gets to have all these like nice pieces and
nice interior stuff. Well we'll come back to this. I don't want to go too deep because without you
driving it. Because there are differences. And I had it up on the mountain yesterday.
I found it quite delightful. So we'll come back to that one. But I want to, I want to talk about
the main story today, which is the Nismo Z manual embargo is off today this morning, right? 18th.
We didn't fuck up, right? Better because the video is up. Better be the Nissan Z. When I drove
this thing like two years ago, it was automatic only. But otherwise, honestly, like great car.
Really good car. Like seriously good car. But now they've listened. Their people are very smart.
And they've listened. They've put a manual in. They've also done some other things.
They've got some new wheels. They've got brake rotors from the R35 GTR, which is 16 pounds of
unsprung weight reduced. The manual isn't exactly the same as the manual in the performance model.
It's got a better shifter bushings and a slightly shorter shifter throw. The length of throw is a
little bit reduced. So and they've retuned the steering and the shocks have larger tubes for
a bit better resistance to heat on track days. Also, there was an issue apparently when on track
days with the last year's cars, with you could get a fuel starvation issue when you had a low fuel
in the tank. They've done some like baffling and reshaping of the fuel tank and doing some
things like that. Not reshaping the fuel tank. That's not the right word. Hang on,
what do they do to fix the fuel thing?
Did I write this down? That's funny. I didn't write down the fueling thing.
I didn't write down what they changed to do to fix the issue with the low fuel
fuel starvation issue, but it's fixed. That's the important bit. They've developed the car to run
a 30 minute track session at Button Willow in 95 degree heat. Not an easy thing. Which is not an
easy thing. The shifter is a six millimeter shorter. Has unique throttle mapping and has a
unique pressure plate and clutch, which is separate from the regular Z. Retuned power steering,
which actually was something I didn't have much of an issue with last time, but they said people
complained about certain things. Reinforce gearbox mounts, bushings, and case.
Minus 20 pounds on spring weight and from cooling. The gearbox itself, the manual gearbox,
saves 30 kilos versus the automatic equipped car. It's lighter. It's also apparently cheaper.
I don't know if Nissan, they didn't tell us pricing at the launch. I don't know if they announced,
did they announce pricing this morning? Because someone off the record told me it does start
with a six and not a seven. Well, road and tracks is they're still missing the number for the price.
So they think it's going to be around 70 grand. Yeah. Well, yeah. So, so someone, you know,
don't hold me to it, but someone off the record said at the, at the event said,
well, I guess it's not, not off the record. They sort of nodded. Yeah, they do that. I was like,
will it start with a seven? And they're like, and I was like, would start with a six? And they're
like, it's like a subtle auction thing when the longbow guys were here. And I was like, oh, is
that shifter going to be for a future sequential thing? And there was like a little eyebrow, but
they can't say yes, but yeah. Now, I mean, and that's like, there are people that are like, oh
my God, even the last time 67,000 for a Nissan. It's like, oh, hang on a minute. This is a very
developed car at this point. Like the NISMO one really is. And the real competition is going to be
your M twos, right? Your, your, your basis of base Corvettes. Yeah. Really your basis of Corvettes.
Supra and Mustang. Yeah. Performance pack slash dark horse. Yeah. Really I mean,
for the money, for the NISMO, really dark horse. Now, the M two in the dark horse were faster on
the track, but I would argue neither was as good on the road. Oh, okay. Like, and, and, and yes,
they were faster on the track, which to me is what negated Nissan's argument for paddle shifters,
you know, for an automatic. There's, oh, it's for lap times. Look, look, obviously,
if you care about lap times, you, you would buy a stick shift dark horse, not, not an automatic
Nissan. But the last dark horse I drove, the one I used for that dyno test, that price started with
an eight, not even a seven. And the M two absolutely starts with a seven. You're not really
getting M twos brand new starting with a six in 2026. Probably not. And then of course,
you can jump to the CS for that's like a hundred. So whether the dark horse weighs 4,000 pounds,
dark horse weighs 4,000 pounds. It's huge. It's just, it's just a huge car. Yeah. So like the,
I like, so then the Supra is going away, right? I think this Nissan drives better than the Supra.
I really do. I think the steering is better. I think the braking is better. I think the balance
is better. I think you can make a Supra go faster in a straight line with tuning, but stock for stock,
I'll take the Nissan over the Supra. I would. What's really, really good about this car
is that it's the right balance of, I mean, obviously it's, it's like 3,600 pounds, which is
heavier than people want sports cars to be. But in 2026, that's not that bad. It's got a low center
gravity. It's got a short wheelbase. It's a tight package. It's got a small footprint. But I could
still, you know, I'm 62 and with a helmet on, I could still fit in it for a track day comfortably.
But it's, you know, 420 horsepower, 385 pound feet with a manual gearbox and a nice even,
you know, power band, good, good smooth power band. It's like the kind of fast balanced sports car
that is like the, the right gap in between Miata or Boxster and like really fast stuff.
Like Corvette or 06 or yeah. And it's engaging to drive. The shifter is nice. It has the auto rev
matching. If you want it, you can turn it off. It has two levels of traction control and stability
control, but not much. You know, it has drive modes. It actually does have a regular and a sport
throttle map. And then it has the two modes of traction control, but there's, and there's hard
buttons for them. You don't need touch screens for either of those. It's amazing that that's
like, that's such a small number of drive modes and, and track modes compared to like Corvettes,
you know, have all this adjustability. And I guess the one it's Nissan, like that's the budget
they have. But also, if you know that you're either going to have a pretty decent traction control,
like for track driving, or you just go full off, give people two options, you know who your
market is. Yeah. Like, and with most manual cars, don't have a bunch of drive modes. Drive modes are
usually equated to smart gearboxes. That's true. You know, because if you've got a stick, you don't
really want to change your throttle map like too much, right? Maybe a little, a little bit, but not,
but not actually that much. Even in, in, in like my Boxster, like there is a, there is a button,
but like all it does is like turn off a cylinder deactivation and shit like that. But if you
have a PDK car, it does a whole bunch of other things. In the manual cars, it's like not.
Did you drive on track full off the whole time? Or did you try it with
their sport traction? I tried, I tried a session with it in, in sport while I was doing the mounts.
And I found it actually, this car has a shitload of rear grip. Like, yes, you can slide it, but
it, it won't just decide, it's not a car that's just gonna slide whether you want to or not.
Like even if you drive full off, you've got to do a, a bit of a flick to get it to slide. It won't
just immediately go into a slide. Like the way the CS did. Yeah. Oh, the CS, no, the CS would
immediately instantly go into a slide, but the CS has a hundred more horsepower than this
with effectively the same wheelbase. Man, maybe slightly longer, but not much longer wheelbase.
This has the, these Dunlop tires, which I really like. They're, they're the SP Sport
Max, SP Sport something. They're basically the same ones that came on my, on my Spider,
which I really like. But just this car, they do a lot right. You know, the steering wheel is
a circle and it's the same diameter and thickness of the R32 GTR wheel, which is like bang on.
The pedal placement is really nice. The, the general driving position is really nice. It's,
it's quick on a track. It's not set the world on fire fast on a track. It's quick on the track.
It's really fast as a road car. I just, I'm not, I didn't get to drive it on the road at all,
the manual, but I'm just remembering from the, we drove the automatic on the road. It's like
super fast as a road car. Well, and isn't it, these days, there's plenty of ways we can get
speed on a racetrack and, but so much of what we're missing is fun connection from driver to
seat to car to wheels. Like that's what we're looking for now, because you can get power
and outright speed all over the place. Yeah. It has a more, what I really like about this car and
that both the dark horse and the M2 lack a little bit. The M, the M2 CS had those really amazing
dampers, but outside of that, it wasn't to me as like connected as I wanted. And the dark horse
is really fast and really sticky, but it's like big and like the steering is like super digital,
right? Yeah. It's, it's a foot longer than the Z and in the wheelbase is seven inches longer.
Yeah. It's a huge car. Yeah. I mean, it has a back seat to the fairness, but, but it's, it is a
much bigger car and the, and the hood is much higher. Everything is higher. So this, this,
what you really have is I think best in class precision control, the front tires to the steering,
that's best in class your rear foot to the rear tires without the, it doesn't have the ability
to like instantly vaporize the way the M2 does, but it's still a good amount of rear control on
the pedal. Like a lift just like makes the nose just talk right in. And if you're a little too
heavy on the throttle, it's not just like insane instant, you know, spin. It's like, it's really
a good car for, for a lot of, a lot more people than would, than would consider probably looking
at it. Sounds like it's set up like the 235 IR race car, you know, good balance. Your, your changes
on your right foot or left foot, your brake or your gas influence the car, the balance,
the stickiness of either end, you know, all that stuff. Like that, but lower and powerful. Yeah,
and faster. And the brakes are really, really good. These, it's acabono calipers with a,
with this R35 GTR vented rotor. They lasted no problem. So I really, I really, really, really
like this car. I mean, it's, it's just a great sports car. I don't think, I don't think if you're
going to, if you're going to have a car without putting people in the back seat, I don't think
you should get a back seat. I think you should get a two seat car. It's got, it's got a big trunk,
like the hatchback, like it holds like a bunch of stuff. Does this in a way take the place where
the, the cheaper came in was? Guys, support is coming in today from ZockDock. Join me in this
one. Raise your hand if you've put off a dental cleaning, an annual checkup or any kind of doctor's
appointment. Yep. Me too. Yes. Hand is up. And when something feels off, I will usually first,
you know, maybe assume nothing is wrong, but then doom scroll symptoms, right? Self-diagnose,
quietly spiral. Maybe I'll vent to Hannah, but like not really do anything. Or, you know,
take some vitamins, hope for the best or be like, it's probably fine, right? But now I'm, I'm going
to turn 45 this year. There is a, that, that's a bad, bad road to go down. If you start to ignore
things or self-diagnose, right? So I'm doing it differently. We're finding doctors we love in
booking appointments with ZockDock. ZockDock is a free app and website that helps you find and
book high quality in-network doctors so you can find someone you love, especially important for me.
I just switched my insurance provider and now I have to go to all new doctors or else to go to
my old doctors. I have to pay like all this out of pocket, out of network cash money. So I'm not
about that. And ZockDock has in-network appointments with more than 150,000 providers across all 50
states. So whether it's dermatology, dentistry, primary care, eye care, or one of the other
200 specialties offered on ZockDock, you can easily search by specialty or symptom to build
the care team that's right for you. I want to see the doctor in person. Great. Want to do video
visit? Fine too. View thousands of verified patient reviews to get a sense of who your doctor is and
maybe, you know, they have the same likes and dislikes about patients that you have about
doctors or share the love of the same sports team, whatever it is, you can feel confident that you
can book with a doctor that you will love. So when you're ready, you can then see their real-time
availability and click to book instantly. No phone tag, no waiting around. Appointments made
through ZockDock happen fast, typically with just 24 to 72 hours of booking. And you can even score
some same-day appointments. I have been watching my heart, my cholesterol, as well as my weight and
stuff very, very fastidiously over the last three years. And I was encouraged by my primary
to get a certain type of test fairly urgently with a certain type of specialist. And I had
absolutely no clue where to find one. So I used ZockDock to get this test with this specialist.
It actually was shockingly easy. I got the test in about two days. And it turns out
it was something that did require a little bit of behavior modification, but nothing that required
the level of panic that I was giving it. So ZockDock to the rescue. Stop putting off those
doctor's appointments and go to ZockDock.com slash tire to find and instantly book a doctor
that you love today. ZockDock.com slash tire.
Guys, support is coming in today from Factor. And for me, healthy eating is a problem of what
to keep in the house versus what to not keep in the house. So when I want to eat healthy,
I just keep healthy stuff around. That's my choice. I don't give myself the option for unhealthy,
but I don't always have that when I'm out and about in my life. And what ends up happening is
I go to work and I work like through lunchtime. And then by the time I get time to eat, I'm so
hungry that I make bad choices, right? Factor is the solution. They're ready at the office,
in the fridge, no planning, no grocery runs, no cooking, and they have meals built around my
particular weight loss goals. Could be your goals, more protein, strength, GLP-1 support,
workout recovery, they've got the muscle pro collection now. And Factor has so many choices.
It's what they have, over 100 rotating weekly meals, and what they don't have, they ban over 175
ingredients, including artificial colors, sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, or refined seed oils.
It's all very nutrient dense. There's a newly launched ready to eat salads with vibrant ingredients
like ilote corn and miso edamame. And then there's the globally inspired flavors like Mediterranean
and Asian, always something new to look forward to. And these 70 plus add-ons that round out your
nutrition from green juices to peanut butter energy bites. I do like the peanut butter energy bites.
Factor's ready in two minutes in the microwave. So Factor shops, preps, cooks, and delivers
straight to your door. So you have more time for everything you love this spring. And eating on time,
making the right choice is easy and quick, so you don't get so late in the day or too hungry,
you make a bad choice. Right? Right. Head over to factormeals.com, slash tire50off,
and use code Tire50off to get 50% off and free daily greens per box with new subscription only
while supplies last until September 27th, 2026. See website for more details. One more time,
factormeals.com, slash tire50off, use code Tire50off. And back to the show. Yeah. You know,
like if you're saying best in class of all these metrics, my brain immediately went to
Cayman. You know, that's because those I think used to be best in class for that price point in
terms of, you know, talking to your hands and your butt. So we don't have that anymore.
And I think those cars also got more expensive with a good engine. But yeah, I'd probably rather
have this than a base Cayman. Like this is this is like two sports cars, kind of what like the
early many early 2000s, many coopers were like compared to STI Evo STI Evo. But like I bought
that John Cooper works many and like I didn't make a wrong decision there. Like that's that's
the fucking under the radar one. People are like M2 dark horse M2 dark horse. But like actually,
right for the connoisseur, maybe, you know, I mean, if you really give a shit about what car
Jethro can go quicker around Thunder Hill in, if that's really important to you, then by the one,
I think I forget, I don't even remember which one it was. I don't remember which one went
quickest. I just remember the other two went quicker than the automatic Z. But like in terms
of like, do I want to connect with a machine for the task of enthusiast driving? Like this is
actually quite a good value. The performance is we did some laps in the performance, like that's
not a bad car either, by any means. But if you're going to be doing serious track work, or like
truly mobbing canyons every weekend and like pushing the brakes, pushing the tires like the Z,
then the Nismo is like a lot better. It's worth the it's worth the premium they charge for it,
I think. The performance Z is like an amazing daily, though. It's a really nice car.
The once you start pushing it, you start feeling all these softer points or it's flaws and you'd
want to change that in the aftermarket, but then you could just get it from Nissan. I mean,
it is more expensive if someone asked not to jump ahead to questions, but I think it's $25,000
difference between performance and the Nismo. 23, 25, something like that, yeah. Yeah, it is.
It's a lot more and it's not a totally different car, but a lot of the stuff that they change,
you can't really do in the aftermarket. It's like the steering. Yeah. Was the steering
tuning, was that they tuned the E-pass system where they change hardware also?
Well, no, they tuned the E-pass system. The hardware they changed was the shocks,
which are bigger tubes. Sorry, I meant did they change anything in the steering system?
It says retuned E-pass, so I don't... To be perfectly honest with you, without having last
year's car, it would be... I liked the steering a lot in last year's car. I guess people didn't.
Whatever people complained about, maybe they fixed. But without having last year's car right
there, I couldn't tell you the difference. It's been two years since I drove it. Sorry.
Well, I mean, as we know from 911 ST, what can be done in a year with just programming is remarkable.
Sure. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, if you have two more years to fiddle with something, you can refine
the shit out of it. See ever, every Aston Martin S. Yeah, very true. So I really dug
it. The videos up on the YouTubes, please go watch it. It's short. It's like nine minutes.
It is. Yeah. I mean, but like, you know, there's not a lot of differences and I feel like on a
racetrack, I said what needed to be said. Got it out. I mean, I think we've covered it.
So but it's a great car. Like honestly, like it's a car a lot of people should be buying that
and now that there's a stick available, like they did the thing guys like they didn't do it the first
time. Get it. But like now they're doing it like you should fucking buy this car because
there if you don't, there it's going to be a reason to not make cars like this after people
like me yelled about it and then they did it. Now you have to buy it. So I hope you do. I know,
I know that the price, it ain't nothing. It's a real, that's real money for a real car.
Were there anything that anything jump out that you didn't like? I know you didn't get to drive it
on the road, but it may be and stuff that carries over from the previous cars, just
general ergonomics or buttons or whatever. No, I mean, this car has different seats. Other people
in the comments on the YouTube videos say that they don't like that the recaro seat seemed like
it was moving in the video. I am certain that that's not like, that if it does, it's like,
at first it's not a bucket, it's a power seat. I am certain that if it is quote moving, it's
because it's designed to have a certain amount of give under high G loads. Like I don't think
under no, at no point when I was driving this car was like, I was like, this seat is not
structurally sound. I mean, it is not a race car. It's a street car seat. It has that recaro
high back that you've seen in various other performance cars from EVO, Mitsubishi EVOs
to the European Focus RS. Like it's a seat everybody's like seen before. Like in my opinion,
its quality is not in question. Now if I'm, if I'm, yeah, that's it. If it's just like,
I'm fat and high G loading the seat, well, you know, so be it. But it also has some padding.
So it has, it does have some give to it. It's not, it's not a fucking GT3, you know, bucket
carbon seat. But it has pretty deep bolsters. But there's a, obviously there's a hinge down
there for the seat to be able to adjust the seat back to be able to lean. So maybe that's the flex
point. Yeah, I don't know. But it didn't certainly didn't feel that way in the car. It's not something
I would be questioning. And also, I mean, there's a funny thing that happens. Like if you get a seat,
seat in a sports car that doesn't have deep enough bolstering, the force that you're putting on the
seat is less than a seat that has deep bolstering. And therefore you're using more of your arms and
legs and whatever bracing you're doing to hold yourself in place. Right. And you're, you know,
taking that work off of the seat. So maybe this holds you better, like wraps around you more,
but therefore there's more force put on the seat. I don't know. That's it. Actually, that's a very
good point. But I am, I am definitely down. But I'm down with this car. I can't wait. I hope they
leave some press cars in New York or New York, Jesus wanted to say in LA. So I was just fantasizing
about being in New York. It's springtime. It is nice there in the springtime. Yeah.
I hope they leave some press cars in LA. If not, maybe I can get one in New York for the Hudson
Quatrocento Road and Track event. If you guys want to come drive with me in New York in October,
we're doing that, experiences.roadandtrack.com. One more funsies item. Okay. This was a thought.
I have to, I have to tread a little carefully because if you use the wrong words when talking
about this topic, I could get myself in trouble. So I don't want, I don't want to try to get myself
in trouble here. I was driving to work this morning and I'm sitting in traffic and I'm
behind the Toyota Corolla, the loud exhaust on it and rims. And across the back window,
it says lady driven in a script. Cool. I'm happy that this woman is driving a modded Corolla.
And I'm happy to see a woman in the car community driving fucking anything hard or modded or whatever.
But the car was dented the fuck up and like missing half of the rear bumper.
And it made me think like if you're going to display with any kind of, any type of pride
who you are on the outside of your vehicle, if your vehicle then-
is not a good representative of the community. Leads into the stereotype. Leads into a poor
stereotype about that community. That is very funny. I think you might be doing a disservice to
both yourself and to the community. That is pretty funny. Yeah. Because of the broken bumper.
When you started this story, like yesterday I saw a guy driving an Acura TSX loud lowered.
Yeah. Kind of beat up and he had a sticker on the gas cap, the Acura emblem. It's like just in case
people forget. And I was like, this is a kind of beat up. Like he's having fun and he's in the
cars and he's got the budget and just putting his money in the kind of the wrong place. But that's
okay. But then you got to broken bumper. I was like, oh, she wins. Yeah. But like if you know,
it could be a national flag that you're talking about. It could be some other type of affiliation
or your pride in any type of group or gender or whatever that you're involved in,
you better make sure the rest of the car is consistent with the portrayal of your group
that you would like to portray. That is very funny. It goes beyond the borders of the rear
rear window, lady. I can see the sticker. I have a picture of the fucking sticker
cracked up for the bumper. And I was like, oh, dude. Well, the sticker is probably cheaper
than the bumper to replace. And it was probably installed there first, but the circumstances
have changed. Right. You know, the budget, the budget. Yeah, that is funny. Especially when,
you know, the stereotype is there and it's, you know, unjustified, like men getting much
larger wrecks. Yeah. We have more deaths than women in traffic or on the road. But when the
sticker is above evidence of something. Now, maybe she got, you know, the thing about this,
Matt Farah, maybe she got hit by a man. Maybe a man driving a car hit her car. I thought that.
It's the rear bumper. I was like, maybe she got rear-ended. Rear-ended by the guy in the Pontiac.
Well, I moved into the right lane. I passed, lady-driven, front bumper two.
She got pushed into a car in front of her. Have you not seen that someone get rear-ended?
For sure. For sure. Not over, you're right. At a high-rater speed. You're definitely right.
Yeah. There was, I was damaged on the side also. Three cars at once. Oh, okay. So it was, it was,
it was, it was just a big pile up. There's one of those 20 car pile ups in the middle of the fog
and ice. Yeah, yeah. And it's amazing that she got out of there. She had to live out of the car
for eight days. Yeah. Well, I mean, without her quick thinking and reactive reactions and, you
know, perfect trail braking and whatnot, she avoided a larger accident. That's a good point.
It could have been much worse. I resend. I'm offended. I should have showed more
respect. Yeah, it's funny. As, as we crossed the intersection here, the, not right outside the
shop, but a couple intersections up, the big major one. Boy, did she do a three-lane change maneuver
that, that, that all women should be proud of. The maneuver that saved her life in that foggy,
icy pile up, man. Yeah, yeah. So since we're on the topic, there are some funny cars that are
around here. There's a, I was walking the dog and there's a Jaguar, I think X, like an old XJ12
and the hood was popped just a little bit like this person. And my, it just made me think like,
on their way home, they had a problem because of course Jaguar, they had to pop the hood to
fiddle with a wire. Then they got home and parked it and they're like, I'm not going to latch this
because I'm probably going to have to do this to get it started again. I will leave this hood up in
a minute. There's a, I took a picture of it yesterday because I was walking. I, my neighbor
gave me, shout out to my neighbor, a meat who just got his first Porsche. I said, you got a C4S
because I told like everybody in my neighborhood is getting their first Porsche and my neighborhood is
full of 996 C4S's and 997S's. Everyone. There's probably, there's probably
the 996 C4S and 997S comprised probably, there's probably nine to 11 examples within a quarter
mile of my house that I know of, like just surrounded by them, which is great. Anyway,
he gave me his weighted vest. So I've been walking with a 25 pounder, which just feels like a,
feels like a workout. Yeah. I assume that's why people do it. All the way to the top of
very big hills and back with the workout. But yesterday I walked past a neighbor's house and
they had, it was a Jag XJC. You know, like those, the, the, do you know what XJC is?
Before the XJS, it was Jaguar's Coupe and it was, it's Harry, Harry Metcalf's got one top left.
That's it. Oh, these look so good. Yeah. It's a, it's the XJ, but a Coupe version. It's a two-door
pillarless XJ. It looks badass as hell, right? Yes. So there's a guy in my neighborhood who's got
one of these and it's on like a BBS looking wheels, which is pretty cool, but it has a landow roof.
Oh no. Why? Who, who thought that was a good idea? I'm mad at them, but cocaine was probably a
thing. And then like they kept, but people just keep it going. They keep driving around. And now
we see, sometimes you see newer cars that have had them added, like aftermarket landow, you know,
just carpet stapled onto like a 2012 Cadillac. Bro, I saw a 2024, like a, like a 2020, something
newer than 2020 Lexus LS with a landow the other day. Dude, crazy. So imagine this with a landow,
but the guys get, get coming out of his house to get in it. And I'm like, I don't, you know,
being nice. Hey man, it's a cool, that's a cool XJC. He's had it for 40 years. He tells me.
And I go, oh man, that's, was I, was that, I go, that's a six, right? Or is it a 12? He goes,
he goes, it's an LS. I go, oh, okay. You know, you know a thing about it.
Yeah. He was tired of dealing with it. It's got a 57 and like a GM, you know, six speed
auto in it. But Harry, Harry Metcalf, like hot rod in his 12 cylinder one, and it's got a manual.
I want to see what I can find an XJC with a landow, but
go down. Isn't that one? Is that one? Does that have it? No, maybe. Oh, yeah, it does. That's
kind of, that's kind of, it's at the leather landow. Yeah. That this, the one is stealthy.
Yeah. That's, that's more period. This one is done. Yeah. That's like, that's not so bad. I mean,
it's bad, but it's not, it's not color match. It's the one I'm talking about is the cloth. Yeah.
This is black leather on a black car, but when you see like tan anything on like a red burgundy
car, it just jumps out and it's like, yeah, I like more upkeep than paint. I wanted a Jaguar that
has, requires more maintenance. You know, you got to go get like rent a vacuum from Home Depot.
You should buy the one here for a daily. The one that's downstairs. There's one of these downstairs.
It's not a C. There's that, we have a, we have a series, I want to say it's a series one,
XJ series one, uh, downstairs. That's a fucking, that Galpin built that's got a full Corvette
powertrain in it with an automatic GM automatic. Yeah. It's one of them. Oh, like, um, the sedan
like Carl's car, like Carl's, but not, not turned down the crazy just a little bit,
but yes, basically that. And the guy wants out of it. It's fucking murdered. It's black,
blitz, black, black. Yeah, it's fucking nuts. It'll be the sickest daily ever.
And actually, I think it would work perfectly if you drove it every day. It's the kind of car
that would just be like fine if you just use it. Well, Corvette engine. Yeah. Corvette stuff. I mean,
I've been thinking lately, like I'm just doing such short trips in my car. I mean,
I either drive here, which doesn't warm the car up and is actually quite bad for it. Or I do like
a normal, you know, tour around town and that's fine. So if I got a daily, it should probably be
an EV or hybrid just, you know, prevent wear on the engine. Yeah. And you can charge here. Yeah.
You know, I gotta fight David for it, but I can do that. He weighs less than I do.
There's a charger downstairs too. You have two EV chargers. This is the prime ones outside.
It's a primo joint. Yeah. Look at that. Yeah. See, hot rotted Jaguar XJs, whether they're XJ,
Sedans, Ss, or fucking Cs are extremely cool. Yeah. I mean, the shape is just so good.
Where's the Magnus with his TWR thing? Let's fucking go.
Well, that looks very, I mean, these are very smooth and kind of elegant. And the new thing is
that's crazy. Aggressive. Yeah. No, Harry, Harry, can we, look at Harry, Harry's
coupe is extremely cool because he is a man of taste. Yeah. Although we disagree on whether a
Kuntas should have a wing or not, but his is just, oh, it's, he sold it. Did he sell that car? I don't
know. XJ C12, V12 manual, sets a new auction record. When was this from?
November last year. What did it go for? It was bold right there. 157,000 pounds.
Well, the Harry touch. So it's a V12 with a manual gearbox and he had, he had the engine
rebuilt and I think hot rotted a little bit. You know, because if you could have one of these that
was like fully sorted and guaranteed to work, you know, that would be. Is that a thing that
accomplished? Like even when these were new from the dealership. At the time, I'm handing you the
keys at the time, at the time the keys are handed over, right? At the time the keys are handed over,
I guarantee you it worked. Harry does not want to be the kind of guy that. Oh, Harry's car. Yes.
Sorry. I meant like, could they ever, uh, when these were brand new, guarantee that they would
work, you know, because now it's got all the new wires and new ideas. Oh no, they were, they were
heinous, but like, but they're so pretty. Yeah. No one care. Yeah. That helps everything. Yeah.
I mean, we'll overlook whatever. And like, we, we, we, I know, know that it's not
that difficult to make, to put Corvette engines and things like this and that's that, but you can
also, I think make the V12, I think it is possible to make the V12 work today. If you get it sorted
and do what I did with the Bentley and just drive it, I think it's like one of those
self lubricating things where shit doesn't dry out if you just use it. Maybe I, I, with these,
I worry about like the wiring of, because you had, you know, the wiring in the doors or the wiring
under the dash. Like, is that going to go out for sure? No, the engine might keep going. And
actually it's true. Even if you replace the Corvette, you're going to replace the engine with a
Corvette engine. The other shit could still break. Oh man, these are really cool. That one with the
stance and the, whatever those are like, what that looks, that's like the British, uh, Hakoska
Skyline, isn't it? Yeah. With that kind of stance and JDM. There's a dash of second gen
Camaro here too. Like, I think it's the stance, the wheels. Ain't nothing wrong with that. No, it's
true. That's delightful. Cool. Now we're going to need one of those. They're cool. Order some more cars.
I bet you, I bet you you could look the guy, I bet you you could load all the guy downstairs. I
could drive for six months and then sell it. I'm just saying. Let's go to the people,
unless you have anything to add at this their point. The people, they, oh, thank you. You're
welcome. That's got my glasses adjusted. That's good. That was nice. They were getting a little
loosey-oosey. Oh right. Not my prescriptions, no. The people at Patreon keep this ship floating
down the ocean. Patreon.com slash the smoking tire podcast is where you go to help a brother out
and get this coontosh fixed. I mean, Jesus, it's crazy how, how much the brother needs to be helped
out right now. I'm going to be on the ground holding one of those signs and ask questions for
the live show, what get the show, uh, uh, if not live for the day it goes up, uh, before everybody
else get extra show. We just recorded our pro driver show last week for the month of May. That is
up. Uh, get access to, uh, early merch collabs and things such as the, uh, notice canyon, uh,
Berry, which sold the remaining lots went to the public today and there were only about 30
something of them. So I'm sure they will be gone by the day's end. Uh, and other things. Uh, have
I missed anything that they get with the Patreon, Zach? I think I'm on it. I think that's it. I
think you did it. I think I covered all the things. Remembering lists is hard guys. That's why
we write them down. I, you don't want to see me sitting here reading a script though. That's not
cool. It's better to do it off the fly. Uh, Rad Raph says, uh, I'm aware of my, uh, wait, hang on.
I'm aware of my tunnel vision. I have a personal soft spot for the Nissan brand. Given your recent
Z experience, can you elaborate your thoughts on the brand strategy, trying to stage their comeback
with products like Xterra, Nismo, Armada and Skyline? Do you think it will work? I think Nissan
is in an interesting position right now. Uh, they didn't lean too hard into EVs and it's funny that
like the world is moving away from EVs right now at the same time, gas is getting like $7 a gallon
here in California. But, uh, okay. I mean, I think, I think to me the Nismo Z is an immensely desirable
product. I got picked up from the airport in the new Armada. Um, not bad. Honestly,
pretty nice looking, uh, pretty nice riding vehicle. Like did not hate it. Would, uh, 10 out of 10
would take one on a road trip. Um, and I think, you know, they're making, they're making products
that lean more towards what people can afford. I mean, typically the Nissan is at the more
affordable end of any competitive segment. And so if people are tight on money, but still want to
get a new car, um, I think they, if their new products are built well and designed well, then
they could offer a lot of value for money with those, with those products. I think I'm checking
their sales. Their sales were up very slightly from 2024. Um, like 1.2% in a couple of things. So
that's okay. They sold about a million cars last year in the United States.
Uh, yeah. So I, I don't know. I liked the Armada more than I thought I would by riding in it.
You know, it was pretty, it was a two hour ride to the airport from Sonoma. It wasn't bad.
Wow. Nice seats, comfy, you know, it was good. Uh, and better looking than it was in the past.
Jim Kana. Oh, the Nismo are, well, the question was the Nismo Armada. That's silly. The Nismo
Armada is just silly. Come on. That's not what we're talking about, but that Nismo Armada is just
like, it's a trim package, whatever. I mean, the Escalade V is also very silly. And if it didn't
have the engine that it has, it would just be dumb. Like so. Uh, Jim Kana says, uh, is it an
enthusiast thing to swap out factory floor mats as a knee jerk upgrade when you get a new car?
I nearly did it this week and it occurred to me. There's three sets of floor mats sitting in my
garage from old cars, all of which I could have used. It's not for me. I, I, I like that the
tight gun has the all well, all weather ones, the rubber ones, but like, no, my, my, my cars have
the factory floor mats in them. In fact, I mean, for a year we committed to using the Bentley
fucking sheepskin ones and they held up better than I thought. I was impressed with the Bentley
ones. Even keeping your shoes on? Yeah. I don't know. I feel like if you're swapping them out,
are you swapping them out? Is this person swapping them because they want something more comfortable
or are you choosing a style that pops more when you open the door? Or are you getting, like,
if you have a black floor mat from factory and you get a slightly upgraded black floor mat,
then I think that's silly. But I don't know. If you have an M car and you get an M floor mat
online or something, I did that. Sure. Loser. I mean, my format had a hole in it. So, yeah,
I was like, well, we'll just do a little upgrade. No, I like, I haven't, I can't say I've ever
cared enough about floor mats to get a brand new car and get rid of the floor mats. I bought used
cars before where the floor mats had evidence of some wear and I got rid of them and just replaced
them. Right. And sometimes that's been with like a weather tech or something. Yeah. Shout out to
Weathertech. They own everything. They do. But they make a nice floor mat. Yeah. It's old school
capitalism. I don't hate, I don't hate building a business on making a product that people actually
want to buy. There's worse things than that. What if it's a product that we will force people to use
but no one's really sure what it's going to do? But it will take away a lot of jobs. What about
that product? I got it. I just got erect. Thank you for telling me about that. There's a thing I
can do that. Where do I sign up? Sign at the bottom of my Kevin O'Leary form right here. Okay, cool.
And can I make a computer clone of myself? Yeah, absolutely. But you won't own the IP of the clone
of yourself. But I will. But you can make a funny video of a dog driving a car. Cool. Yeah. It'll
be completely forgetable. Can I make a pizza show up three minutes faster? No. Because that's
supposed to be made in a place by a person when delivered. But we can make a video of a pizza
driving a car. Yeah. What if I get rid of that human? What if I have a robot make the pizza
that hands it to another robot that drives it? What if, no, what if the robot makes the pizza
on the way to my house? And then another robot meets it at the curb and brings it to the front
door. So I don't have to go meet it in the street. Yeah. We will probably have that within six months
to 10 years. Definitely. If you give us the money today for the stock, promise it will
happen soon. And there will be rockets on the pizza delivery vehicle. Listen, Elon.
Fisker, I hardly knew her. I've only ever had rear-wheel drive cars. But I want to experience
more. Should I try a good front-wheel drive car like a GTI or Civic Si so I can get the gist
or can I get the gist of the experience with a weekend Turro rental?
That's a good question. If you don't have a need for a front-wheel drive car, then you should just
try one on Turro. Rent a GTI somewhere. If you can, you can get a GTI on Turro. Oh, definitely.
For sure, right? I don't know. I think if you're rotating through, I think it's cool to have it
for a year and just experience it every day. I bet you'll find the big meaty things in a weekend
driving quick or going to a canyon or something. But if you really want to experience the different
drivetrain setup, then I think you should live with it for a while. Sure. Okay. If you can find a
really nice Fiesta ST, I mean a really nice one, you can probably go money and money out even for
a year on one of those. And that would be about the best against. Spencer says we're picking,
or you could go like, here's another thing you could do to make it interesting. You could go like
super, super front-wheel drive. Like you could get or import like a Peugeot 205 GTI or some really
cool European GTI like vintage front-wheel drive from the 80s or something. That could be a fun
thing to do to make your front-wheel drive experience a little more interesting than a modern front-wheel
drive system. That's true. Spencer says we're picking up a new BMW 230i and immediately have to
drive five hours back home with it. Since you drive unfamiliar press cars all the time, what's
the mandatory five-minute pre-flight checklist and what specific features or settings do you set
up before you put the car in drive? So very good question. I don't always do things I probably
should do, but I can do some things on the fly. But I don't like, like you're buying this car
and then you're going home and you're doing immediately not just like driving up the road,
you're immediately doing a road trip. So like, first off, my pride is very silly and when I get
new cars, I don't always have the salesman show me like every little thing. I'm like, I know how
to do that. I'll figure it out, which led me to not knowing I could put the car play icon on the
on the home screen of the Taycan, which was a game changer. Make sure you know how to really use
the radio. Make sure your like favorites are preset. If it's like serious or whatever,
if it has, I don't think that has M modes, but if it has an individual drive mode, you set that,
you know, mirrors, memory seats. If you're doing a driver swap, memory seats is a good one.
I bring my Valentine one. Make sure that's make sure you know which buttons control the radar
cruise control versus regular cruise control. Like I think getting familiar with that before you get
on the road because I don't do that a lot of times and then I'm trying to figure out on the
highway. Yeah. I mean, but when the car is going to be yours, it's worth it to take the extra time
to go through all the settings. I mean, also like if it's brand new, like your ADAS settings,
like if you want lane keep off, like do that ship before you leave. Yeah. You know, if you want
to set, I don't know if the 230i has it. Does that have like hot buttons? Like is there like a
like a universe there? I don't know if it has a universal like button. The Porsche has two of them
and you can make those buttons like 10 or 15 different things. So you might want to make that,
set that hot button to something you're going to use all the time.
And then, you know, make sure your phones, your car play, all that stuff is set up.
Good question. Pretty straightforward, but a little more. Well, like I don't set my favorites
and press cars. Like I'm just like, I don't have the fucking patience for that. But like Hannah
sets her favorites. So Hannah, when she goes to work in Colorado for her gigs,
she has to go there like once a month for a week and she rents a car and it's in Fort Collins,
which is like 90 minutes to two hours from Denver. So she's to fly to Denver, get in a car,
and from the exit of the Denver airport, there are no traffic lights or stop signs until for two
hours. So it's just exit the parking lot and you're going 70 the whole way. So she, who can't
get used to a car necessarily as quick as I do, and isn't as quick to adapt to new radios and
things like that. I mean, it's more how every person would adapt. She really now has to make
sure that everything is set before she like puts the car in drive. So she'll set all her favorites
on like serious. She'll make sure her like her car plays also like everything has to be her
mirrors are fully good. Like because once she's driving, anything else like that is like there's
nowhere to stop for just a second to do it. So but yeah, sometimes I'm in a hurry and I don't set
anything and I'm in a new car and that first drive, I'm trying to do everything while I'm driving
and it's like you get stressful. It's a mess. Yeah. Yeah, it's a mess. How are we on time, Zach?
Are you okay? We're good. We started early. So okay, very helpful. Great. Johnny Evie Gierberman
says, do you think there would ever be a market for a Resto Mod Kuntas? Not not well. I think
there's always a market for everything. But with a car, the more celebrated the car is and the more
perfect it's viewed in terms of like especially design in the aesthetic, the riskier it is and
the easier it is to fall. Yeah. And they're just like, it's an interesting question. I think people
who want a better driving Kuntas just by like a later Diablo or like a Mercy or something.
Maybe there's one lunatic out there that thinks that that needs to be a thing.
There's only 2000 Kuntas has ever built. So to try to make a business out of that would be
very hard, very expensive. You'd have to make your own unibody, I think. I think that's what
you'd probably have to do. Because to find enough people who are willing to chop up their Kuntash,
to turn it into something. Maybe there's a couple crashed or like half burnt ones out there that
you could scavenge. You could do a couple where you get a VIN number and you could do something.
Yeah. But I think that it would always have to offer far more than what the original does.
Like Lamborghini doesn't have the racing pedigree that Porsche does. Like for Singer,
they could go, okay, we can take the horsepower from this and the handling from this and we can
make you give you a car that drives far better and closer to like a race car than the street cars
ever did. It also looks amazing. But for Lamborghini, what's your north star there? I don't know.
Well, there's an entire industry of people. I mean, thankfully, a lot of them are in Southern
California that could make singers go fast. It's not like fucking Rob Dickinson and Maz like
knew how to specifically engineer a suspension or an engine. Like the engines were built by
people who knew how to build engines. Like, you know, specifically people who knew how to build
Porsche racing engines. And so there isn't really a bunch of people that are building like
Kuntasch racing engine. You know, that engine isn't really like a motorsport engine. I mean,
it's a bunch of power because it's big. It's a V12. It's not a bad engine by any means,
but it's not a race. It hasn't been studied as much as, you know, it doesn't have all that R&D
built into it. Yeah, I think it's the kind of thing. One day, what's his name?
Lamber fucking Gini. Oh, Nick? Yeah, one day Nick is going to get, get enough money
to pay Steve Maxwell to build a Resto Mod. Like that's how that's going to be the extent of Resto
Mod Kuntasch is going to be that guy paying that guy to build. He'll be the Sir Edmund Hillary of
that. Like first summon Everest. But like, you need that person to prove the concept. And then
a bunch of people will copycat. If anybody could do it, that's true. Grilled peanut butter and pearl
jam. That's good for a couple reasons. One, because grilled PB&J is a classic. You don't have that.
Is it good? Doesn't people are like run off and no, no, you need to. It's a, there's
there's a management system. You don't, you don't spread to the very edge. You got it. You got to
keep it tight. You also don't want to use, you do need to use a more commercial grade
peanut butter. You can't use the really natural. It can't have peanuts in it. No, it can. But it
needs other things. It can't be the kind where the oil rises to the top and you got to stir and
it's got to be, but I know, but like, if you want to do this, it's going to be a little messy.
You can do that. You need some stabilizer. You need a little bit of concrete in there.
So I actually, when I grill my PB&J, I actually, sometimes I just deal with the mess, but I just,
I, my ingredients are more like a pile in the middle that I sort of spread as I press a little bit.
But let me tell you what a delightful thing, the best.
First time commenter though, and coming in with a fucking home dinger of a name like that.
I graduated on Saturday with a bachelor of science in marketing, business, and management.
Congratulations. I want to know if you have any advice that you wish to give someone,
that you wish someone gave you two days after graduation.
You won't know exactly what you want to do or what you will want to be
two days after graduation. And that's fine. And you can change the course of your career or life
as many times as you want. There may be downsides to that, but you can do that.
So yeah, you want to, you want to consider a big picture if possible. If you have a dream,
definitely follow it. But if you don't have a dream, just try to do something productive that
feels right and like be ready for the next cool thing to pop up. Yeah. You know.
And whatever you do, the first thing you do, you will take lessons from that to the second thing,
the third thing. You may, and it may not seem like it at the time, but you will.
Yeah. Try not to be too stupid. That too. Yeah.
You're just after college is a really good, good time to die doing something stupid.
Yeah. You're, you're still real dumb, but now you have your full autonomy and no class structure.
And you might have like a little more spending money. So yeah, risky time.
Murray long last name says my baby cousin just graduate. I knew graduation weekend
this whole weekend. You see around here nuts, not this weekend. Baby cousin just graduated
high school. His first car with his part timer money and dad is matching it. That's exactly
where I was. I respect it. It must have airbags and no convertibles also respected. I'm taking
him to look at a 2009 civic SI and a 2001 prelude type SH. He has $6,000 to spend. What else should
he look at in that price range? Those are cool choices. Those are cool. I'd like to know how
nice the 01 prelude is. Like I would be worried that that, cause that's sweet. Yeah.
01 prelude is fucking awesome car actually. Talk about your, talk about your proper front
wheel drive performance car. For reference on cars and bids, the most recent one there was bid to
10 grand and did not sell. That was a year ago. 01 SH manual and this had 106,000 miles on it.
Maybe he found one that's got more miles or I don't know if she found a deal, but that's a cool
car. That is a cool car. Both of those are nice cars. 09 SI, totally fine. Isn't that the one
with the split gauges though? Isn't that the one where the speedometer is like way down here in
South America and your tack is right here in front of you? Is that the 09 dashboard?
What do they look like? I think that's 09. Either way, those are great first cars. Yeah,
that's that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Good first car. Very fun. Feels fast, but isn't,
which is a good thing for a young person. Stick shift, good handling. Yeah, I support this.
I support both of these decisions. I'm partial to that. If that prelude is like not a shitter,
yeah, you see the speed up where your tack is right in front of you, but the speedometer is
like way down on the dash. It's way down by the windshield, which is actually better in your
line of vision, but I mean, I'd go prelude for sure. If the prelude is not a shitter, I would
go prelude just because it's super cool. I wanted, that's the car I couldn't get in high school.
That's why I got my first Subaru. Oh, wow. Yeah, I got this, I didn't, the Subaru was fine. It was
a good car, but I really wanted either, this was, I wanted the Civic Si or the prelude type SH,
and it was a year waiting list to get both of them. And so I was like, well, I need a car now
and got a Subaru. I mean, anything else in that price? You know who fucking, who got the,
end up getting the prelude is my boy Adam. Adam M. Got the prelude, and I, that's,
and this is how I learned that you actually can't kill a prelude because he, him, Adam M.
got a prelude and Matt H. got an accord coop four cylinder manual, right? And also Marty the Shaman
had a, a, a chord coop four cylinder manual. And these are, or at least were, the three least
responsible drivers, the three least mechanically sympathetic mechanical humans I've, I've ever
met. Marty, not anymore, but like if these three cars didn't die, they can't. Yeah. Then they can't
die. That's who they, that's it. Like you can't believe how badly these, this set of three 1999
Hondas were treated and fucking survived. It's unheard of. Yeah. Just red line from cold start.
So Matt H. his brother Mark H. got the same Honda when they were both, both 16. They made the same
car. They, it was the first year was in Mark turn 16. He's my age. Second year is when his little
brother got one. Matt abusive fucking just, just, just the alcoholic stepfather of Honda
accord ownership. Just, just all the clutch drops as many as you can imagine. And the car made it,
that's six years actually. His brother got an automatic and that was not interested in sports
cars or being a shit head behind the wheel at all. He drove the car until he was at least 40.
24 years. 24 years lasted four times as long. The car he got in high school,
he kept until he had like two kids. That's so funny. Yeah. Yeah. So I read on companies don't
rent manuals anymore. Expectant widowmaker says, I use sheepskin rugs in bright red as floor mats
in my dune buggy and they're perfect. That fucking rolls. I have sheepskin mats for my
manks and I will be swapping them in as soon as we, that's the thing with floor mats. I got
two sets and then I put one in and then I kind of got lazy and didn't swap them in. I got to swap
them in. Well, sandal weather now. So it makes sense. It's about to be flip flop weather. Would
you consider using the swatch royal pop as a dash clock? You know, actually that's not a bad idea
for a royal pop. If you, it could be kind of fun to like turn a pair of these things into like
one of these into like a dash, a set of dash clocks. They don't have a chronograph. I'm not as
like, these things are really fun. Are these expensive? Basically what these get stolen from
your dune buggy? Probably. Probably. Probably. They're not expensive. They're like a couple
hundred dollars, but they'd probably, but they're trendy. So they would get swiped. Yeah. Yeah.
I found that the cooler your car is, the more likely people are to not fuck with it when it's
parked down on the street. Yeah. Cause they go, oh, I like that. Yeah. That's not much of that thing.
Duffel shuffle retirement club says, uh, will the NISMO Z fill the void left by the ARTH 35 GTR
for Nissan enthusiasts who refuse to buy a sports or performance car for anyone else?
That's a funny question because I, it's never occurred to me that that is a person.
Somebody refuses to buy anything for Nissan.
For people, Chevy people, Nissan people. That's crazy. Yeah.
I have an article idea for road and track that's like, it's basically just starts like,
don't stand automakers. Like they will let you down. Like, don't be a fan of anybody. Of course.
Um, I, I don't think people who want an R35 GTR will be happy with the NISMO Z.
Yeah. Having said that, you know, we have some friends here in LA that are genuine,
like Nissan fans that, uh, that are, are into the Z, but speaking of which,
sidebar, did you happen to see on his Instagram that after he saw my little Instagram video
with Shant about the Mercedes, Joey Lawrence, the actor brought his Nissan Z over there and
is like doing like a body kit and a bunch of stuff. Shant is doing for him. Wow. On a Z.
Yeah. Whoa. On a Z. He's in, he's really into his, his Z. Yeah. He just got one. Not like.
But isn't there, I'm surprised he didn't go to like, what's the Z wizard in LA that
Larry Chen took his car to? Basically there's someone who specializes in Zs.
But I don't know. He just like, like Shant's vibe. Yeah, cool.
I blow horns says, what would be your favorite big engine based on smaller engines? Think
V12 made out of two RB 26s or similar? I have two answers. I think a K V8 would be fun.
Put two K Honda four cylinders together, make a small V8. Could be rad. The fun answer is,
someone do that? No. I guess it's two Honda. Is it two Honda motorcycle engines that make a V8?
Maybe. Okay, go on. But the other one is just let's, let's bolt two LSs against each other and
make a V16. Which I think somebody did that. Yeah. Somebody did that. I think that would be awesome.
Yeah. I would like to see two BMW K 1600 motorcycle engines put together at the crank
to make a 3.2 liter V12. Very cool. That might sound really good. That would rip. Yeah.
Put that in the little N600 you drove. There we go. Yummy. Lincoln Park plug-in hybrid.
So good. That is such a great name. Shopping for a sporty but comfy four seat convertible for my
dad. His pick was a 996. But the 2000 CLK 55 AMG has caught his attention with clean examples of both
going for 25 to 30 K and 10 to 15 K respectively. Is the 996 really a 15 K better car and experience?
Okay. Well, it depends what you want. If you want a real sports car, like you say relatively
sporty and comfortable for a comfortable four seater, is someone going in the back? If someone's
going in the back, 996 might be tough. I'd rather put someone in the back of a CLK than a 996.
Are you cruising around Florida? Are you at the villages or are you in the mountains and the
canyons? If there's curves and things, then yes, the 996 manual is better. If you're just cruising
the highways and byways of V8 Mercedes might be nice. It's going to have a slush box. It's going
to be classic. Like we say this a lot, but old depreciated V8 luxury cars with
automatics are really cool in theory and on paper, but are often just kind of boring to drive because
there's slush boxy. So you may or may not find that interesting. If you really want a sports car,
CLK is not going to do it. It's going to be loud and heavy and kind of quick. But
yeah, man, an old roommate had to remember he had one of these and it broke all the time.
Gluteus Nissan Maximus. I think also Nissan Maximus Desmaris Meridius would be pretty funny.
Why do you think Ford hasn't released a hybrid Bronco? Do you think there's demand for it?
So I left this in someone else. She rubbed on my above until the tip was whistling. Also great
name replied with some good stats. Ford sold about 800,000 F-Series trucks in 2025. Only 10%
of those were the hybrid. So they sold 146,000 Broncos. Are they going to develop a whole
hybrid just to sell 14,000 a year optimistically? Probably not. Yeah. I'll let that end. Great
point. I think it is. And I think the hybrid pitch on the F-150 is at least 50% about the kind of
tools you can power off of the truck. Yeah, the job site stuff. The Which the
Bronco, I mean, okay, maybe there's a camping angle you could take, but I don't think Bronco
people are looking for hybrids. In the same way, I don't think Jeep people were looking for hybrids
with the Wrangler either. I think that got forced on them. Yeah. And the camping thing,
nowadays there's so many companies like Jackery or whomever that make a battery pack meant for
camping. Yeah. And you put it in the back and you can take it out and move it around the campsite.
Like that adds all the convenience and without any of the complexity that Ford has to deal with.
Gavin Sullivan thoughts on the AMG E53. I haven't driven it yet, but that 53 engine,
that inline six is really nice. I drove a car I did not expect to like, which is the C53 convertible.
Fucking sweet. It's fucking really nice, beautiful car. Really enjoyed it. That inline six kicks ass.
As a GRC owner, I can assure you that you're correct about its nerdiness. What other cars
scream? Nerds, nerds, nerds. Skylines are nerdy cars. I'm sorry to people who like skylines,
but they are. A little bit. Delorians are very nerdy. Extremely. If you drive a Chevy Vega,
you're fucking nerdy. Was it the Pulsar? The Pulsar GTI. Yeah. That's true. If you have a
Japanese car that, I said skylines, but actually stripped that. That's a dude magnet. If you're
gay man who wants to pick up straight dudes, if that's your kink, you need a skyline.
If you drive any other Japanese car that isn't a skyline, that's nerdy. Like a hatchback or
something. Yeah, JZX's. They're big in the drift community, but outside of that, you have to
explain why you bought what looks like a Camry, but it has the steering wheel. For sure.
K cars are pretty nerdy. If you have a British sports car from the 60s, it's fairly nerdy.
Pujo 205 in the United States is very nerdy. Any French car in the United States is extremely nerdy.
Yeah. Except a Bugatti. Well, yeah, but that's...
Carbon monocoquin ball torture. It says, been thinking about bands, music bands that fit cars.
Well, Porsche 911 is Rush. Corvette is Van Halen. Dodge Charger is Pantera. Oh,
we need the explanation. Porsche 911 is Rush. Technically good, huge niche fan base. Start
in the 60s. Very nerdy. Corvette is Van Halen. No explanation needed. Dodge Charger is Pantera.
Powerful and racist. What is the most Nickelback car? Dude, Chad Kroger
owns the most Nickelback car. Type in the words, Chad Kroger car collection. The image, Chad Kroger
has a very dorky car collection that is so Canadian. And just see what images come up,
and if the photos come up that I know about. He had a pretty dorky car collection. He had like
a, whatever this like fuck van is, with a dually conversion, which I love actually.
Six by six Dodge Street fan. Yeah. I don't know what this Hyundai Elantra is.
A fourth gen Elantra. That's his daily commute around the city. Yeah. Boss 429 Mustang. He had
a prowler at one point. He was for sure featured with his prowler. But he had a Diablo on ugly rims,
which I think is kind of dorky, if you ask me. Oh yeah. See, that's no way no.
Right? That's not great. Oh, well, this is the car with the regular rims, which look great.
Yeah, phone dials, but up here. That's not. Yeah, it's not great. So anyway, he had some dorky cars.
So, Nickelback's car collection just could be, I mean, Nickelback's actual cars. It could be, it could
be, I mean, not to say to you, like Camry, like Nickelback was so popular, yet seen as lame.
Like, there's nothing tough about it, about that music. It's like not respected, but it's everywhere.
It's the V6, the V6 Camaro. V6 1LE. Yeah, V6 Camaro. V6 1LE. Yeah. Two Renault's one cup chassis.
Nice. How do you manage, is that the, is that, is that, no, there's a lot more. How do you manage,
no, no, no, it's fine. Oh, I didn't know if that question had further clarification. How do you
manage professional disappointments?
I feel like it's gotten easier with time, and I don't know if you, who told me to do this.
Someone, in the last couple of years, is just like, if you don't get too excited about the
professional opportunity when it goes away, and not to like diminish your joy, but just because
in media, things can come and go so quickly, a media brand that can hire you can suddenly dissolve.
They'll choose someone else for a thing, last second or whatever, and you just,
sometimes there's going to be a lot of wins, sometimes there's going to be a lot of losses,
and you just kind of take each one and stride it, and always move to the next thing,
and it just prevents, kind of protects yourself a little bit.
Yeah, I think, I want to say it was like Al Pacino, or De Niro, or someone, it was like some,
that when you're talking about that, it's like, I think I remember seeing it in some like actors,
round table thing, where it's like, Tom Hanks and De Niro, and whoever talking about, and they,
and he said, like, you know, when you're on a roll, like, don't get too excited, you know,
and, you know, prepare, because it'll swing the other way, and then don't get too, you know,
sort of law of averages kind of thing, you know, hedge your happiness when it's going really well,
and know to hedge your sadness when it's not, and for me, I'm able to, I'm able to manage any
professional disappointment, that I can get a good lesson out of. I'm happy to lose some money,
or have to say I'm sorry to a customer, or have to fix something that's broken, or talk to an employee,
if there's, or not get a gig, for a reason that might be totally valid, you know, and be able to
go, all right, well, what is the fucking lesson? Because the only thing I'm learned, I'm like,
trained to do, and I went to the best business school in the country, I studied art, so what
am I trained to do? Hang the pictures in my office, that's about it. Everything else I've learned by
figuring out, failing, and hopefully fucking not doing it twice, or three times, so like,
when shit happens, like, you know, my dad was like, you know, getting an MBA is like 250 grand,
so if you like, run a business that works, and you fuck up less than 250 grand, consider yourself
ahead, you know what I mean, like, you can learn that shit in the classroom, or you can learn it
by ping-ponging against failures for 30 years, like, so I've chosen that way, and you know,
if it's something that's like, not my fault, I'm trying, or like, my thing that should have been
foreseen, then I try to like, just go, okay, well, can I do anything to fix it? Yes or no?
But if it's like, not, if it is my fault, and it's something that I, then I just, you know,
you apologize, and try to have a lesson out of it, and move on, I guess, you know?
Yeah, let's do this one, we'll be done. Fuck, oh, okay, it's like a fuck Mary kill, but of like,
situations. Oh, choose one, A, never pay for gas again, B, never be stuck behind a slow car in the
left lane again, and C, immunity from ever getting a traffic ticket. That's interesting.
Ooh, no traffic tickets.
So, do we have to be ourselves in this game? Are we projecting us onto a hypothetical person
that like, doesn't effectively have like, an on-call lawyer for traffic tickets? And oh,
by the way, 100% of our fuel is taxinuctible, so we're really not paying for gas, either.
I mean, that's true, but with gas going up, the cost of our, the cost to operate our business is
going up. It is, it is. I would, I would obviously, I would never, I would never pay for gas again.
I think I would do that because that, for most people, would still be cheaper than having off
the record. But considering I walk to work a lot, I don't, I actually, my gas costs are pretty low
right now. So if this was like the next year, I would go immunity, and just,
within, you know, you'd have the purge, 2026.
I would accept, accept I'm too responsible nowadays. Like, I, I don't want to drive fast
on the 405 middle of the daytime. Like, so what am I getting away with?
Yeah, do you drive, I don't think that either you or I drive fast on public roads or, or, or,
excuse me, I don't think you or I, the, I don't think the fear of getting a ticket
is what prevents us from going faster than we go on public roads.
I think that's true.
We are not afraid of getting a ticket. We don't go quicker because we think it's,
it's morally reprehensible to go quicker than we would go on a road.
Yeah. And it's also like, after spending years with a V1, you know, trying to shave three minutes
on a commute or something. Now I just, I've done all the math and it's just not worth it.
A lot of times it's not.
So I think I would go, I'll go back, never pay for gas again, because then I would just feel
total freedom to like drive wherever I want anytime of the week or month and just, who cares?
There's, I would do that.
Yeah.
Because the left lane thing, you just pass on the right. That's what you do in America now.
The right lane is the left lane.
Yes, it is.
It's inverted.
It is inverted.
Thanks everybody. Thank you to our patrons. I appreciate you very, very much.
Hopefully that notice canyon watch is, is gone. But if not, go check it out on their website.
It's noticewatches.com. If there are any left, it will be listed for sale there.
Thank you to everyone who supported us through the canyon project. And I, the next watch,
I'm not going to reveal a very fun detail about it, but I'm, I got a very excited text this morning
from the guys at notice about a fun detail about this watch that is a major milestone that I didn't
know if they could achieve, but they, we have achieved it.
The rockets didn't help the celebration.
Fury achieved it. Yes. Yes. We're going to be selling a rocket powered car.
You can send me $250,000. It'll be available soon. But you gotta buy it today.
Thanks everybody. We'll see you later. Bye.
About this episode
The Smoking Tire kicks off with a Nissan Z Nismo manual review, then shifts to shop logistics and the real-world cost of suspension work—down to expensive Countach bushings and missing tie-rod ends. The conversation returns to the Z with track-focused manual updates: GT-R brake rotors, low-fuel starvation fixes, and weight savings. Pricing and competition come next, with comparisons to M2, Corvette, Supra, and Dark Horse, plus a debate over whether the Z can replace the R35 GT-R’s appeal.
Matt Farah reviews the much-anticipated manually-shifted 2027 Nissan Z Nismo; a preview of our thoughts on the new Aston Martin DB12S; a new Countach bill puts things in perspective; and we answer Patreon questions including:
Nissan's recent comeback strategy
Is my floor mat fetish strange?
Does the Z Nismo replace the GT-R?
Do you need to own a FWD car to truly experience it?
Pre-flight checklist before getting into a new car
Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to https://Zocdoc.com/TIRE to find and instantly book a doctor you love today. Thanks Zocdoc for sponsoring this message
Factor
Head to https://Factormeals.com/tire50off and use code tire50off to get 50 percent off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).
Quince
Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to https://Quince.com/TIRE for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.
ButcherBox
As an exclusive offer, new listeners can get their choice between free Sirloin Tips, Ground Beef or Chicken Wings in every box for LIFE, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/tire
Enter to WIN our AMAZING 2025 Porsche 911 Turbo S!! https://www.dreamgiveaway.com/tickets/porsche?promo=SMOKINGTIRE
Promo Code Offer: Get 4X bonus tickets with any donation of $25 or more. With every donation you are helping benefit some wonderful veterans' and children's charities.
Podcast Promo Code: SMOKINGTIRE
Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast
Use Off The Record! and ALWAYS fight your tickets! Enter code TST10 for a 10% discount on your first case on the Off The Record app, or go to http://www.offtherecord.com/TST.
Watch our car reviews: https://www.youtube.com/thesmokingtire
