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

20,000 Mile Update: 2010 VW GTI

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

 

I can’t believe it’s already been over 22,000 miles since I picked up my GTI back in March of 2010. It seems like only yesterday that I traded in my Mercedes C230 for this “hot hatch” and am proud to say, I haven’t looked back…. much. Sure I miss RWD but my Mercedes, with it’s paltry 189 HP and rather weak 193 lbs./tq. never had enough grunt to make it worthwhile. That being said, my decision to add heavy 19 inch wheels didn’t help my performance. My GTI brings a more sporting 200 HP and 207 lb.ft. to the table, all while tipping the scales at 3,113 lbs (137 less than the C230). The extra power, less weight and more performance-oriented suspension make the GTI feel much more nimble. Especially on tight road courses such as Adams Raceway, which we featured in our GTI video review. (more…)

Forza 4 Review

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

Forza 4

 

I know what you’re going to say: “Video games? On an automotive site?” Well, let me start off by saying that, like Matt, I’ve never been a big gamer. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I got my first gaming system, a Playstation bundle pack my family got with the new TV. It came with one game: Gran Turismo. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. I loved the fact I got to drive real cars, and not some made up space karts with turbo boosters. I loved the fact that it was the most realistic racing game I had ever played. I was amazed by the graphics (1998, haha) and sounds of the game. Needless to say, I was hooked. I played that game until my thumbs were sore.  I remember waking up early before school , just to drive my hard earned Formula 1 car around the Nürburgring. Then it all changed. Somewhere between going off to college and discovering the fairer sex, I lost interest in video games. Sure, occasionally I’d sit down to play some racing games with friends, but was never really as enamored with them as when I first sat down with that revolutionary racing game I grew up with. I lost interest and focused more on actual driving and having fun behind the wheel of a REAL car. More after the jump. (more…)

Presenting: The Slowest Porsche in the World

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Speed, lots of power and…. GREEN? The hottest cars on the market today push the envelope when it comes to performance, fuel economy, technology. With cars like the Porsche 918 Spyder looming on the horizon, promising rediculous performance figures (198 MPH, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, 718 HP, all while giving us 78 MPG), the future of cars truly lies in the maximization of a cars efficiency as opposed to the old school approach of building a strong chassis, and then simply throwing power at it until it goes like hell. As evidenced by the 918 Spyder, along with the new GT3 R Hybrid and Cayenne Hybrid, Porsche has spearheaded the movement they like to call “Intelligent Performance”. There is no doubt that these new hybrid cars give us both performance and efficiency. But what if you can’t wait for a Hybrid Porsche and have a budget that is much, much smaller than the $800,000+ estimated price of the 918 Spyder, or even the Cayenne Hybrid’s $67,700? How about if all you can afford is a bicycle but you want the looks of a GT3 RS? Well, I’ve got the solution for you: The Ferdinand GT3 RS

Hit the jump for the build gallery and more information…

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Bizarre Roadside Sightings: The Rental Car Makeover Edition (For the Worse)

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Ughhh… It’s yellow. It’s a Chrysler. It’s an ex rental car. Do I really need to continue? This color theme might work on say… a Porsche 911 Turbo, but not on an old Sebring. I’m done, nothing left to say…

Another “poke your eyes out” picture of the Quad exhaust after the jump…

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Bizarre Roadside Sightings: 88 MPH Edition

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

This is one of the reasons I love living in Southern California. You see some of the craziest cars in everyday. I saw this DeLorean as I was trying to avoid traffic on the freeway. Out of nowhere, Doc rolls up in a fully Back to the Future II spec DeLorean. Everything down to the license plate and Mr. Fusion intake is correct. (more…)

Bizarre Roadside Sightings: The Twisted Self-Image Edition

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

Ironically, the “gentleman” driving this behemoth was a short, rather fit Mexican. I can tell you though, I’ve seen plenty of trucks on which this decal would be more appropriate. And on top of it all, this was in metro LA, not exactly where I would expect to see a truck like this…

-Daniel Volz

Bizarre Roadside Sighting: Money Can’t Buy Class Edition

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Celebrity cars are all over LA. Some are beautiful, others very plain. But sometimes they just make you shake your head. The car in the picture above is actually Candy Metallic Pink. (I think the color broke the camera on my iPhone.) It belongs to the MTV VJ LaLa. Instead of wasting my words here, why don’t you guys tell me what comes to mind when you see something like this?

- Daniel Volz

Bizarre Roadside Sighting: The (I Can’t) Escape Edition

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Driving around my neighborhood in Los Angeles, I see a lot of nice cars everyday. From Exotics to 4×4′s, from a yellow  Phantom Drophead Coupe to Fabio, rolling around in his SL65. As you can imagine, after a while one becomes jaded. I find myself ho-humming at the sound of a Gallardo bouncing off the rev limiter and I no longer have flashbacks to my alien abduction when I see an R8 in my rear view mirror. However, sometimes something will grab my attention, unfortunately it’s usually something like this hideous Ford Escape. It’s about as visually pleasing as being shaken awake by a Lowland Gorilla while wearing a banana suit.

Verdict on the Fast & Furious Escape Hybrid with Robo-Orca-Tail-Shopping-Cart Handle: FAIL.

- Daniel Volz

Matt’s Corvette vs. Nissan Versa Base: Practicality Challenge

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Matt always buys impractical cars and tries to justify them as practical, even though they are far from it. He buys cars with 2 seats, racing harnesses, that are lowered and scrape everywhere, and yet he maintains practicality. Once, he decided to buy an SUV for practicality purposes. The one he chose? A used Hummer H1, possibly the least practical car on earth.  Dan makes him put his money where his mouth is by holding a practicality challenge, putting The Smoking Tire Corvette against the most practical car in the US: a base Nissan Versa.

When Corvette performance is your priority look no further than CorvetteGuys.com, the aftermarket Corvette authority!