Welcome to The Smoking Tire. Kick ass automotive videos and more.

Totally Realistic Options List on Tony Stark’s Acura NSX

Friday, January 27th, 2012

by Zack K

Since the Acura NSX made so many people swoon at the NAIAS, I thought it was a good time to bust out this funny spec sheet of Tony Stark’s NSX from The Avengers. Of course it’s all fictional, but I love the amount of cool, “techy” words they mix together. It’s almost like a mad-lib; This hyper _____ wheel prevents neutron_____ and ____ attacks while modulating modulators. My favorite is the wheels made from, “particle matter technology.” Isn’t everything made with particle matter technology? Make the jump for the build sheet. Oh, price is about $10M. But the taxes are surprisingly cheap.

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“Dirty Ole Trench”: Determination or Delusion?

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

 

This little post was found on reddit, the funnel through which much of the strange and crazy auto content flows. Commenting on the picture above, his page simply says “Found this trench two weeks ago, and it got the better of me.” I assumed he was trying to drive down it and got twisted up. But the picture below showed me he had a different idea of what it means to “conquer” it. (more…)

Incredible Dakar Gallery

Sunday, January 15th, 2012

by Zack K

 

The Dakar Rally is probably the craziest race on the planet. It’s 8,000 miles long. Eight thousand. The longest route of the Baja 1000 is about 1,100 and while it is run straight through (the Dakar has 14 stages) the sheer distance of the Dakar leaves me in disbelief. Who thought this thing up? Thierry Sabine, a nut case who, after getting lost in the desert, thought it would be a good place to race. Heat, snakes, lack of water, perfect, right? “You know, driving the equivalent of the USA, coast-to-coast, off-road, twice, leaves me a bit…bored. It’s too easy. 6,000 miles? Puh-shaw. Peasants race distances so short. I want a race that is almost 50% longer, crosses 3 countries and the nearest decent hospital can only be reached with several plane flights and a working passport.” Crazy. Make the jump for an amazing gallery. (more…)

Matt Reviews the C63 Coupe, Lexus CT200H, and BMW R1200R in the January Issue of Road Lanes

Friday, January 13th, 2012

We know it’s been a little quiet around here the past few days, and that’s because Matt and the crew are on a 3,000 mile road trip to film 4 episodes for our new show Tuned on the DRIVE Network. We’ll be back to regular posting on Monday, but for now, check out the January issue of the free online magazine Road Lanes, where Matt reviews the new Mercedes C63 Coupe, Lexus’s new “sporty” hybrid, the CT200H, and the BMW R1200R motorcycle!

Check it out at www.roadlanes.com

How Not to Build a Donk

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Here’s a guide to the formula of building the dumbest form of custom car to ever cruise American roads, the Donk.

1) Take 1 shitbox, generally worth very little money and in poor condition.

2) Spend 3 times the value of said shitbox on a lift kit to turn it into a monster truck.

3) Spend 4 times the value of said shitbox on some glitter paint. Don’t do any body work under the new paint, it helps to see previous damage through the paint.

4) Spend 5 times the value of said shitbox on wheels so big, the slightest bit of load will either cause them to collapse or come off completely, causing the world’s most “I told you so” moment.

5) Spend 0 times the value of said shitbox on upgrading brakes or any other safety component.

6) Show the homies what a moron how cool you are.

That’s if it’s done properly. At the very least, you probably want a car with some kind of V8 in it to handle the immense torque needed to get those yard wheels (you ain’t cool unless you measure your wheels in yards) moving. The Mazda RX-8, with it’s neck-breaking 152 lb/ft of torque is not what we were thinking of. What we have here, folks, is either the least pimpin donk ever (you think the skanks that like your Chevy are gonna know what a rotary engine is?) or the least fun RX-8 to drive on the planet.

Secret Rally Car: Audi Group S Prototype

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

by Zack K

This is the Audi Group S Prototype. If you haven’t seen it before it’s because it wasn’t supposed to exist. After a photographer spilled the top-secret beans with a picture of a test run the Audi big wigs forced Roland Gumpert‘s team (yes, that Gumpert) to dismantle them, while his highness Ferdinand Piech personally watched. Thankfully, Mr. Gumpert had another one stashed away. Jamal from Hellafunctional.com found this car’s story in an old mag and it’s quite a story. The hyper-light, 1000hp mid-engined car could have been a trophy-laying goose for Audi if they hadn’t scrapped it. Make the jump to learn about this insane little car that never got its shot. (more…)

Here’s the Least Useful TV Stand Ever (video)

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

 

So here’s…something. It’s an entertainment center built out of a real Porsche 996′s ass. It even has real brakes and wheels. That’s not a waste at all. Surprisingly it’s not made by Porsche Design, probably because they think it’s as ridiculous as I do. And that’s a feat, because they had the balls to make a $2,000 hookah and even their own cell phone, “Ze iPhone? Vat is zis iPhone? Bah. Our phone vill be betta! It vont have nearly ze lateral keyboard grip, or lag-free input response of our zellphone.”

 

No, this was just made by a guy. He’s probably a Porsche fan no shit Zack who saw the ’55 Chevy couches and wanted something similar that a Porschefile like him would appreciate. I understand that. It’s why we have posters, pictures and models filling our house up. They’re all reminders of something you love, an experience you had, the adrenaline of driving. But this is just the most inconvenient thing in the world. It holds a 42″ flat screen TV, which it raises up out where the back seat would be. Again, it takes mad balls to take the brilliantly thin flat-screen television- designed specifically to take up less space- and bolt it to something the size of a breakfast table. Make the jump to watch it in action, and more snark. (more…)

No More LS Swaps! Oh, into a AWD Porsche 996? Ok, One More.

Monday, December 26th, 2011

 

You know how the Chinese have the Year of the Dragon, or Cat, or Dog? As Matt put it after SEMA, this was the Year of the LS Swap. Every project had an LS motor. Pro-touring cars, off-road machines, Japanese drift cars, shit, you can probably get an iPod case that has an LS motor in it. I know, I know; cheap, reliable, easy-to-find power. Yeah yeah, we get it. Logically it makes sense but I hate logic and nothing is immune from becoming over-played. After all, advancement and new ideas are what drive the entire automotive industry.

 

Then I saw this guy, 1dirtyZ, on the ls1 forums. He’s putting an LS1 into 996 Porsche. And there’s a video of it. Fine, one more, but then we’re at capacity. (more…)

Saab: Discounts, Parts, Warranties. Buyer Beware.

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

A few days ago Matt wrote a post on the certified, absolute death of Saab. There’s no encore to wait for, no defibrillator to grab, it’s over. The main focus of Matt’s post was how new Saab owners were screwed, because their warranties had ceased to exist. A lot of people in the comments section started asking if dealerships were offering big deals on Saabs, and if that was a good idea. We hadn’t heard anything at that point, but thanks to an article from Car and Driver, we have some new information for you about bargains, warranties and the future value of these cars. Make the jump. (more…)

Lexus Concept Pics Leaked

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011

A few days ago we posted the teaser pictures of Lexus’ 2012 concept car. Lexus had only provided pictures of the front left headlight and an interior shot, but based on those tastes I figured the whole car would be “dericious.” I was right. Someone leaked (AKA “volunteered to be fired”) a complete picture of the car a month ahead of the Detroit release. Internet: 1, foolish leaking intern: 0.

 

But wow is it good looking. I can’t tell it’s size, but it looks like a slightly softer LFA. With the stunning interior and these proportions, I’m even more convinced it’s going to be a luxury/sport grand tourer. Whatever it is, it’s sexy. Sexy Lexus…my brain still isn’t used to that. Now, can someone leak some specs for us?