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Rivian R1S Quad review; I Hate Sims; 1st Waymo Ride

Rivian R1S Quad review; I Hate Sims; 1st Waymo Ride

The Smoking Tire Dec 04, 2025 98 min
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About this episode

The Smoking Tire podcast dives into a review of the Rivian R1S Quad motor, questioning the need for a 1,000 horsepower off-roader. The hosts share their experiences with racing simulators, highlighting the challenges faced while practicing for an upcoming race in Texas. They also discuss the firing of Jaguar's design boss and Zach's first ride in a Waymo, touching on the unique quirks of autonomous driving. With a mix of humor and automotive insight, this episode offers a blend of car culture and personal anecdotes.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Rivian R1S

"...we review the Rivian R1S Quad motor and ask, who needs a 1,000 horsepower off-roader?"

The Rivian R1S is a new electric SUV that can go off-road and has four motors for better control and power. It's built for people who like outdoor adventures.

Term

1,000 horsepower

"...who needs a 1,000 horsepower off-roader?"

Horsepower is how we measure how strong an engine is. When a car has 1,000 horsepower, it means it can go really fast and perform well, especially off-road.

Car

Hyundai Santa Fe

"...ur and two hours flying from here. I was thinking Santa Fe, a night in Santa Fe. That's a nice place to spen..."
Car

BMW M3

"..., and it's arrived and drive, but apparently this M3 E92 that is the car, the expected car is like, so..."
Car

BMW E92

"but apparently this M3 E92 that is the car, the expected car is like, something's wrong with it, it's not running right."

The BMW M3 E92 is a sporty two-door version of the M3, which is known for being fast and fun to drive. It's part of a special line of BMW cars designed for performance.

Car

BMW M2

"they've upgraded us to the factory, the M2 or M240 Club Sport, like the BMW turnkey race car."

The BMW M2 is a small, powerful car made for people who love to drive fast. It's known for being fun and easy to handle on the road.

Car

Mazda Miata

"...'s going to be, that'll be fabulous. That's BMW's Miata, basically. Yeah, it's like when we went down to,..."
Car

Mazda MX-5 Miata

"if you're a 17-year-old hot shoe who really wants to be somebody, then you're racing Miatas. But if you're 65 and joining a racetrack country club, you are not starting in Miatas."

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a small sports car that many people love because it's fun to drive and not too expensive. It's often used in racing by beginners.

Car

BMW M240i

"that's a, it's like a 350 horsepower or so car. Oh, okay. Is it? It's the M240."

The BMW M240i is a sporty car that has a strong engine, making it feel fast when you drive it. It's part of BMW's 2 Series and is designed for people who enjoy performance.

Concept

rear-wheel drive

"...These are not all wheel drive. These are rear wheel drive, obviously, but I think this is..."

Rear-wheel drive means that the back wheels of the car get the power from the engine. This setup can help the car handle better and go faster, especially in sports cars.

Term

ZF eight-speed

"...but I think this is but they're the ZF eight speed. Yeah, that's it."

The ZF eight-speed is a type of automatic transmission that helps cars shift gears smoothly. It's often found in fast and luxury cars, making them perform better while saving fuel.

Car

Volkswagen Beetle

"...they caught a bit of a Volkswagen Beetle boomer nostalgia, that's basically what that was."

The Volkswagen Beetle is a famous small car that looks very different from most cars. It's known for its round shape and was popular in the 1960s.

Car

Saturn Auras

"shopping experience with Aura frame. And for a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames.com to get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames, named number one by Wirecutter, by using promo code TIRE at checkout. That's A-U-R-A-Frames.com"
Term

solid axle

"...this is a solid axle race car. Okay. This is what this is a car is a race car from like 12 years ago..."

A solid axle is a simple way to connect the back wheels of a car. It makes the car strong but can make it harder to handle well on turns.

Car

Ford Mustang

"...p time that they had in iRacing is the Ford FR500 Mustang was the closest he could find. Okay. This is a ca..."
Term

naturally aspirated

"This car made like 370 naturally aspirated fucking horsepower. Like, so I'm just like I keep spinning out and crashing."

A naturally aspirated engine gets air into it just by using the natural pressure from the atmosphere, without any help from turbochargers or superchargers. This means it can be very responsive when you press the gas pedal.

Term

slicks

"You're on slicks, I assume, like in the sim. Yeah. Sticky tires, you're not overpowering them very easily in real life."

Slicks are special tires used in racing that don't have any grooves or patterns on them. This design helps them grip the road better, especially when it's dry.

Term

iRacing

"...I think I drove it like played it once or twice and I was shocked at you know, none of the Sims..."

iRacing is an online racing game where you can race against other players. It's known for being very realistic and has different racing events you can join.

Term

Assetto Corsa

"...it happened in Assetto. The other ones it's just the way that the tire modeling..."

Assetto Corsa is a racing game that lets you drive different cars on real-life tracks. It's designed to feel very realistic, making it popular among car enthusiasts.

Term

traction control

"Will the car have traction control?"

Traction control helps your car stay on the road when it's slippery. It stops the wheels from spinning too much when you accelerate, making it safer to drive.

Concept

stints

"...how many stints do you guys get each during the race? Is it just one each..."

A stint is how long a driver drives the car during a race before switching with another driver. It's important to manage these times well to do well in the race.

Concept

practice day

"...Plus practice day. So there's a practice day Thursday..."

A practice day is when drivers get to drive on the track before the race to practice and make sure their cars are ready. It's like a warm-up before the big event.

Concept

qualifying

"...And qualifying is Friday. But Thursday is supposed to be like a fucking pissing rainstorm..."

Qualifying is when drivers try to set the fastest lap times before the race. The better your time, the closer you start to the front when the race begins.

Car

Plymouth Cricket

"...s wet canned food. It's helping my cat, Nikki and Cricket, my two girls. They're a little round. It's helpi..."
Car

Volvo V90

"...tire. And now back to the show. Tell me about the Volvo V90 cross. Oh, I was going to save that for next year..."
Car

Volvo V90 Cross Country

"...Tell me about the Volvo V90 cross. Oh, I was going to save that for next year..."

The Volvo V90 Cross Country is a type of car that looks like a station wagon but is built to handle rougher roads. It has a higher ride height and all-wheel drive, which helps it drive better in different weather conditions.

Car

Mercedes-Benz E450

"Doug's car, the E450 Mercedes, the all-road kind of... Is there still an A6 all-road?"

The Mercedes-Benz E450 is a fancy car that combines speed and comfort. It's known for being very nice inside and has a lot of cool features.

Car

Audi A6 Allroad

"say that because I want to look up the competitors. Everyone loves the Volvo. The competitors are like Doug's car, the E450 Mercedes, the all-road kind of... Is there still an A6 all-road? I think... Is that the only all-road? I don't know what the Audi's all-road lineup is, but"
Car

Audi Allroad

"say that because I want to look up the competitors. Everyone loves the Volvo. The competitors are like Doug's car, the E450 Mercedes, the all-road kind of... Is there still an A6 all-road? I think... Is that the only all-road? I don't know what the Audi's all-road lineup is, but"
Concept

depreciation

"They depreciate. They all have looked the same for a while."

Depreciation is when a car loses its value as it gets older. This means that if you buy a new car, it won't be worth as much after a few years.

Term

body control

"...the body control on the suspension is so nice. It's really, really good body control the way the height settings work..."

Body control is how well a car handles turns and bumps without feeling wobbly. If a car has good body control, it feels stable and comfortable when driving.

Term

damper settings

"...the way the damper settings are. Really nice, just beautiful riding car..."

Damper settings are how you adjust the shock absorbers in a car's suspension. They help control how bumpy or smooth the ride feels when driving over uneven roads.

Term

wheelbase

"...the short wheel, I wish it had a different steer, slower steering ratio, because when they shorten the wheelbase from the truck..."

Wheelbase is how far apart the front and back wheels are on a car. A shorter distance can make a car easier to turn but might make it less stable at high speeds.

Term

steering ratio

"it's like a Ferrari 812 steering ratio in something with a shorter wheelbase."

Steering ratio is how much the wheels turn when you turn the steering wheel. A smaller number means the wheels turn more with less effort, making the car feel more responsive.

Car

Ferrari 812

"it's like a Ferrari 812 steering ratio in something with a shorter wheelbase."

The Ferrari 812 is a fast sports car made by Ferrari. It has a powerful engine and is designed to handle really well, making it fun to drive.

Car

Rivian R1T

"...to higher speeds. Well, because when we drove the R1T years ago in the Canyon, both of us were like, it..."
Term

stability control

"...you can change like things like the level of stability control, the amount of wheel slip you'll get. You can change how much brake assist and steering assist..."

Stability control helps keep the car from sliding or losing control when you turn sharply or drive on slippery roads. It uses the brakes to help keep the car stable.

Term

damping

"...I liked to turn up the damping a little bit above their setting in comfort. So the suspension was like somewhere between comfort and sport for the damping..."

Damping is how a car's suspension controls bumps and movements. Changing it can make the ride feel softer or firmer, depending on what you prefer.

Term

wheel slip

"...the settings really make more sense when you're off-roading, such as wheel slip, unless you want to do burnouts..."

Wheel slip happens when a car's wheels spin faster than the car is moving forward, which can happen when you accelerate too quickly. It's useful for tricks like burnouts but not great for regular driving.

Car

Rivian Teen Wolf

"I looked up the Rivian Teen Wolf. I mean, obviously they wouldn't buy the IP. Not sure what the logo means, but it's cute. I mean, I like a cartoon."

The Rivian Teen Wolf is a new electric vehicle concept from Rivian, a company that makes electric trucks and SUVs. This vehicle is designed to be fun and adventurous.

Term

automatic wipers

"The laser headlights, the automatic wipers, all of those expert level. Awesome. The lights turn with you."

Automatic wipers are windshield wipers that turn on by themselves when it starts to rain. This helps drivers see better without having to manually control the wipers.

Car

Hyundai Satellite

"...heir Sirius XM is the Sirius app, it's not actual satellite. I did think it worked well. The cameras are grea..."
Car

Porsche Taycans

"...the Taycan's camera sucks horribly. She was so blown away with the Rivian's backup camera. That stuff matters..."

The Porsche Taycan is a high-end electric car that offers impressive speed and technology, including cameras that help with parking and safety.

Car

Toyota Rav4

"...e ones from like six years ago compared to Sirius RAV4, which is a one-year-old car. It's much clearer. ..."
Car

Tesla Cybertruck

"...ing probably more towards men that are looking at Cybertruck and other ones and they just have to say it has t..."
Car

Toyota Land Cruiser

"... good that is. How much it makes something like a land cruiser feel like a clunky piece of shit. No disrespect t..."
Car

Buick Rainier

"...well as a day at Dirtfish. It's going to be Mount Rainier, Olympic Park, all those beautiful roads, the Mou..."
Car

Chevrolet Suburban

"... it would be heading north on a really big, empty suburban road. We're heading north towards Beverly Hills a..."
Car

Porsche Boxster

"... kill them all said my dad and I each picked up a Boxster S 986 for 10 K. Can you think of any car that del..."
Car

Toyota MR2

"..., for less, there's an argument for like a Toyota MR2 maybe. That's pretty good bargain. Yeah. It's a g..."
Car

Chevrolet C8

"...ang on. Driving experience, I should, I think the C8 Corvette Z06 is a great place to start. Great pla..."
Car

Ferrari 348

"...to start. Absolutely 100%. How about I will say a Ferrari 348 GTS or GTB, which is 94. Most of the way to a 355..."
Car

Shelby Cobras

"...u, I know you don't like them, but I will say Kit Cobras and some other replicas because the price of a re..."
Car

Ford GT40

"... with a kit. I would say that about a really good GT40 replica. Sure. Yeah. I personally like the like t..."
Car

Porsche 356

"...ow. How about like a non numbers matching Porsche 356 that's worth like 60 grand, but if the numbers ma..."
Car

Ferrari 612 Scalietti

"...ge against the Mach-E. I have a manual conversion 612 Scalietti. It's actually kind of awesome, but I want to sel..."
Car

Ferrari 400i

"...ely expensive. Which just happened to the Ferrari 400i. People my age, all of a sudden, are deciding tha..."
Car

Ferrari 400

"It was great. I mean, I happen to think the Ferrari 400 is a pretty nice looking car in the right color a..."
Car

Honda Accord

"...rom here, the front all I think is like early 90s accord. Late 80s accord."
Car

Honda Prelude

"Okay. The Stiggs-Lautchen cousin drove the Prelude, the new Prelude, and at no markup didn't find it..."
Car

Toyota GR Corolla

"...markup didn't find it good enough to trade in the GR Corolla. Yeah."
Car

Toyota Corolla

"...kup didn't find it good enough to trade in the GR Corolla. Yeah."
Car

Pontiac Gtos

"...st, actually. Josh J says thoughts on the Pontiac GTOs, the early 2000s ones."
Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"...was doing the F-body and GM was finishing out the Camaro SS, and these guys and Pontiac had the GTO,"
Car

Chrysler PT Cruiser

"...zed, oh, we fucked up? Well, no, first we had the PT Cruiser and the Prowler. So that goes, the Prowler was 90..."
Car

Plymouth Prowler

"...up? Well, no, first we had the PT Cruiser and the Prowler. So that goes, the Prowler was 90, the concept ca..."
Car

Pontiac G8

"...ike a Neon. No, you driven a Chevy SS or a G8, GX Pontiac G8? They drive like that,"
Car

Pontiac Firebird

"...y they did that. They didn't have the money for a Firebird replacement. Obviously, they were like on their w..."
Car

Holden Commodore

"...car. Yeah, and they've changed the bumpers on the Holden Commodore and made it the G8."
Car

Genesis G70

"...just a request for a guest. Nobody cares about my G70. Straight up."
Car

Honda Civic

"...at you would get on the factory wheels of a Honda Civic that are like fairly crappy aluminum wheels,"
Car

Ferrari 458 Speciale

"... ago, you partnered with a dealership to review a 458 Speciale. Would you partner with another dealer"
Car

Porsche 911

"all driven by the original owner, which begs the question, why are so many 9-11 owners afraid to put miles on their cars? Well, I think first that makes an assumption that isn't necessarily true."
Car

Porsche 911 GT3

"...in not driving it. If you get an allocation for a GT3 at Sticker and you don't drive it, you're going t..."
Car

Lamborghini Kuntosh

"...s own. Shabby says, have I thought of trading the Kuntosh into a Diablo or Mercy? No."
Car

Lamborghini Diablos

"Not fucking rollover minutes. Diablos are okay. They're lovely."
Car

Chevrolet Beretta

"... sure probe is not the answer, but always thought Beretta was cool. Beretta is cool."
Car

Ford Galaxy

"...ctric car, when we were doing electric stuff like Galaxy. Yeah, that's true."
Car

Chrysler New Yorker

"...ville was right up there along with the Chrysler, New Yorker, the Chevy Monte Carlo."
Car

Chevrolet Monte Carlo

"...re along with the Chrysler, New Yorker, the Chevy Monte Carlo. That's the Monte Carlo."
Car

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

"...at memory should I relive? A 2010 Viper ACR, 2008 V8 Vantage, an R8 V10 Spyder, C6 ZR1, Nissan GTR, AMG GTR, o..."
Car

Dodge Viper ACR

"What memory should I relive? A 2010 Viper ACR, 2008 V8 Vantage, an R8 V10 Spyder, C6 ZR1, Nissa..."
Car

Nissan Gtr

"...r ACR, 2008 V8 Vantage, an R8 V10 Spyder, C6 ZR1, Nissan GTR, AMG GTR, or 997 Turbo Cab."
57 cars featured

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