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The Great Aston Martin Valhalla Drive

The Great Aston Martin Valhalla Drive

The Smoking Tire Mar 31, 2026 105 min
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About this episode

The Smoking Tire digs into Aston Martin’s Valhalla, blending review talk with behind-the-scenes chaos from a Spain shoot. They geek out on the carbon tub, in-house carbon work, and a Mercedes-derived twin-turbo V8 plus tri-motor hybrid system that delivers traction and brake/torque vectoring without feeling intrusive. The hosts praise steering feel, comfort at “five tenths,” and surprising drivability despite hypercar compromises like no trunk. The conversation also ranges across car culture—YouTube heroes, manual swaps, club value, recency bias, and a lively Q&A—plus a few sponsor reads and Patreon extras.

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Brand

off the record

"We love off the record over here ... They will arrange for a qualified attorney to represent you in your case and at a hugely high percentage get those points off your record"

This sponsor helps if you get a traffic ticket. They can connect you with a lawyer so you don’t have to handle it alone, and they aim to reduce the impact on your record.

Brand

Michelin

"Plus an additional 10% off all Michelin and BF Goodrich ... So if you spend 1,500 bucks on a set of cup twos"

Michelin is a well-known tire maker. The sponsor says you can get extra savings on Michelin tires through the membership.

Car

Aston Martin Valhalla

"We are reviewing the Aston Martin Valhalla a little BTS for my review in Spain go check out the video"

Aston Martin’s Valhalla is a high-end supercar. In this episode, they’re talking about reviewing it and sharing what it’s like to drive.

Concept

embargo date

"they moved the embargo date up by a day... Or they by two days."

An embargo date is basically a “don’t post yet” deadline. The car company tells media when they’re allowed to publish, and if it changes, everyone has to adjust their schedule.

Term

carbon tub

"...They're making carbon in a it's fuck. It's been so long since I drove this car ... No, no, no, but um, you know the carbon tub and structure is it was done by the F1 team"

A carbon tub is a structural “cell” made largely from carbon fiber that forms the core passenger compartment. It’s used to reduce weight while increasing stiffness, which improves handling response and crash protection.

Car

Mercedes black series

"And remember when we drove the Mercedes black series the AMG GT black series the orange one ... and we're driving and we're like this engine feels like it feels like a front engine to McLaren"

Mercedes-AMG’s “Black Series” cars are their more hardcore, track-oriented versions. They’re using that car as a reference for how the engine sounds and feels.

Car

Maserati MC-20

"But because it has the door cutouts or the roof cutouts, which I sort of complained about in the Maserati video [540.0s] The carbon tub gets really narrow ... [555.8s] Like a zero G kind of seat and like unlike the [560.9s] MC-20 the lumbar pillow was like sculpted correctly"

The Maserati MC-20 is a modern supercar. They’re comparing how the seat and cabin shape make you feel when you’re getting in and driving.

Term

no trunk

"[619.2s] Except for the fact that it has no trunk. You'd have to figure out one of them John Olson [625.4s] Racks."

“No trunk” means there isn’t a normal place in the back to put luggage. They’re saying you’d have to use other storage options for road trips.

Brand

Ford

"Guys taking a break from the action because support is coming in it fast like Jim Farley the CEO of Ford [1563.2s] CEOdom when it comes to car companies"

Ford is a major car company in the U.S. Here, the speaker brings up Ford because its CEO is involved in racing and car talk.

Company

Jim Farley

"Guys taking a break from the action because support is coming in it fast like Jim Farley the CEO of Ford [1515.0s] Who's now got a podcast and you're always asking me what I'm listening to when not recording this show"

Jim Farley is Ford’s top executive. The hosts talk about cars and driving, and he also has a podcast where he interviews people about what they drive.

Term

gravel trap

"Yeah, I I I dumped the million dollar car into a gravel trap. I had to be towed out"

A gravel trap is a rough, gravel-filled runoff area on a race track. If you go off track, it helps slow the car down fast and safely.

Concept

BTS footage

"I wish we never ever have BTS like why would we have behind-the-scenes footage like it like first off like I very rarely break stuff or crash stuff"

BTS footage just means “behind the scenes” clips—stuff that shows what happened while making the video. They’re saying it’s not always relevant to the car review itself.

Brand

McLaren

"Like if this was the new McLaren, you know, if this was the replacement for the seven series, I'd be like, oh Okay, you know now we're fucking humming"

McLaren is a famous supercar brand. Here it’s used as an example of a “big-name” performance car that would feel exciting even if it were replacing something more normal.

Brand

Koenigsegg

"So I haven't driven a new Koenigsegg in 10 years. So Christian get at me. Yeah, let's see. Let's see what that's about But you know, but I think I could get one of these serviced in Los Angeles."

Koenigsegg makes some of the most extreme hypercars in the world. The host is saying they haven’t driven one in a long time and wants to see what the newer ones are like.

Brand

Pagani

"Pagani's are beautiful, but they don't the the the utopia didn't didn't Blow me away to drive."

Pagani is an Italian company that builds very special, high-end supercars. The speaker is saying their cars look amazing, but they didn’t fully impress them to drive.

Concept

pits

"...didn't hit anything [2144.4s] Yeah, but spun it then pulled into the pits and was like..."

The pits are the area beside the track where teams and drivers stop during an event. Drivers pull in to check the car, reset for the next session, and get guidance from event staff—especially after a spin or minor incident.

Concept

speed sensation vs speed numbers

"above like a [2339.0s] 120 130 miles an hour it stops feeling fast [2343.3s] But then the numbers just you just look at the numbers and they're going up"

Sometimes a car can feel like it’s going the same speed even as you’re accelerating. Your brain gets used to the sensation, but the actual speed keeps increasing.

Term

black trim instead of the chrome trim

"Right, it's got black trim instead of the chrome trim. I don't hate it. No, I think well, I think it works"

Black trim usually looks darker and more modern, while chrome trim looks shiny and more classic. The difference can make the car look more aggressive or more elegant.

Brand

smeg

"It's like what's the crook? What's the smeg it's like a smeg what is I think smeg is a turn... It's like new appliances that look like exactly that yeah, it's Vespa X smeg"

Smeg is a company that makes kitchen appliances like fridges and ovens. They’re famous for designs that look “old-school” even when the appliance is new.

Concept

Goodwood Revival

"Some of the best riders and drivers in this game are I've created an event for Goodwood revival called a damn fine way... Go to revival spark.com and there's information about it"

Goodwood Revival is a racing event where people bring older, classic race cars to compete and show them off. It’s also a big social event, not just a race day.

Concept

track day

"[2827.7s] PIR track day Portland International Raceway also a day at dirtfish rally school. We're driving the Cascades"

A track day is when you drive your car on a race track for fun and practice. It’s usually safer and more structured than driving fast on public roads.

Company

Portland International Raceway

"[2827.7s] PIR track day Portland International Raceway also a day at dirtfish rally school. We're driving the Cascades"

Portland International Raceway is a real race track in the Portland area. They’re saying the event includes time on an actual track.

Brand

dub magazine

"Giggity Airlines says nobody talks about dub magazine anymore ... But like respect we wouldn't have donks without dub magazine."

This is a magazine focused on customizing cars—especially wheels and styling. The discussion is about how it helped make that style more mainstream.

Term

rims

"...it was more like Show cars and stereo wheels and stereos and stuff like that and I was more into sports cars ... respect we wouldn't have donks without dub magazine."

Rims are the wheels you can see on the outside of the car. People customize them because they change the car’s look a lot.

Concept

air-cooled Porsche

"And Matt you've expressed interest in having another air-cooled Porsche in the future. What direction would you take it? I? [3359.7s] Would"

An air-cooled engine uses airflow to keep the engine from overheating, instead of relying on liquid coolant. A lot of Porsche fans prefer the older air-cooled feel and sound.

Term

carbs

"My old Mini Cooper just kind of smells from the carbs and fuel tank"

“Carbs” is short for carburetors, which mix air and fuel mechanically before it enters the engine. Fuel odor from carbureted setups can indicate issues like float/needle wear, leaking seals, or fuel evaporation when the car sits.

Term

exhaust fan

"Are at WCCS? We have an exhaust fan that runs at a very low speed all the time ... The fan is never off. It's only on very low or like, you know"

An exhaust fan is a fan that pulls air out of a garage. It helps get rid of fumes and keeps the air from building up.

Term

ventilation

"Yeah, so I think it's just you need ventilation. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I mean if you can get an exhaust fan"

Ventilation just means fresh air is moving through the space. In a garage, it helps prevent fumes from lingering.

Concept

get down to 232

"We're trying to get down to 232. I'm like, but if we're in the but if we're there, I can't do it."

“Get down to 232” sounds like a goal time for a lap. Drivers practice specific parts of the track to shave seconds off their lap.

Concept

concept car

"[5203.5s] Run GMC. What was the last notable concept car revealed at a car show? [5209.7s] well, I think was it last year the toyota is"

A concept car is basically a “preview” car shown at events. It’s used to show new ideas, and sometimes those ideas later show up in real customer cars.

Term

recency bias

"[5917.6s] Uh, what would you call that? [5920.0s] I mean, um recency bias. Yes. I think it's probably the most accurate term..."

Recency bias means you notice something more after it’s been on your mind recently. So when you start shopping for a car, you may start seeing it everywhere even if nothing really changed.

Term

lighter wheels

"I mean in general unless they're so light the structure is compromised lighter wheels help you everywhere They help you brake better accelerate better. They're less resistant to turning so they help your turn in"

Lighter wheels help because they’re easier for the suspension to control and they’re also easier to spin up and slow down. The result is usually a sharper, more responsive feel.

3 cars featured

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