GTD vs GT3; Lambo Temerario Drive; Lemons Buttonwillow; More

·1 hr 10 min·5 clips

Matt Farah calls the Porsche 911 GT3 the most joyous car to drive, with its manual transmission and naturally aspirated engine.

The episode opens with Matt Farah at Thunder Hill Raceway in northern California for Road & Track's Performance Car of the Year, while Zack Klapman is remote. Zack describes his recent 24 Hours of Lemons race at Buttonwillow with Team Huevos Rancheros, driving a Ford Ranchero and a Buick V8-swapped MGB GT. He details the MGB's quirky double-tap brake system that led to a spin on track, and mechanical issues including a head gasket failure and a shock that detached during the race. The Ranchero performed well, earning third in class. Matt discusses his involvement in the Performance Car of the Year test, where he's evaluating vehicles like the Audi RS3, BMW M5 Touring, and Lamborghini Temerario. He notes how back-to-back testing reveals nuances, such as the Mustang GTD's curb handling being inferior to the Corvette ZR1's. Matt provides insights on each car: the Audi RS3's unpredictable slide behavior, the BMW M5 Touring's extreme power requiring minimal throttle to drift, and the Lamborghini Temerario's high-revving V8 and $568,000 price tag. He praises the Porsche 911 GT3 for its analog driving experience and manual transmission, contrasting it with more digital competitors. The conversation covers the Mercedes-AMG GT Pro's improved focus but difficulty when sliding, and the Corvette ZR1's overwhelming power that isn't fully usable on short tracks. Matt concludes by mentioning upcoming videos and thanks patrons before returning to track testing.

As heard by us

A remote Smoking Tire episode where track time and road miles test the compromises behind fast-car enthusiasm.

The Smoking Tire makes a remote recording feel like a useful road-and-track debrief, centered on a performance-car trip and a weekend at Thunderhill Raceway.

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Why you'd press play

You get Thunderhill, an Audi RS3 reality check, and a road trip that winds up in Tahoe.

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