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Maserati is Back; Misplaced Building Blame

The Smoking Tire

Hosted by Matt Farah

1h 29m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

Matt Farah and the guest discuss a range of automotive news, local politics, and personal shop updates on this episode of The Smoking Tire Podcast. They detail the frustrating bureaucratic hurdles of expanding their Gardena location, clarifying that permitting delays stem from city planning offices rather than state-level regulations. The conversation then moves to exotic cars, covering the guest's firsthand impressions of the updated Maserati lineup, the discovery of the very last manual clutch at Aston Martin Works, and the dyno results of their modified Porsche 911 T giveaway car.

Throughout the episode, the hosts debate the nuances of automotive culture, highway driving styles, and the current collector market where vehicles are increasingly viewed as financial assets rather than toys. They answer patron questions about used sports cars, the viability of learning to drive in electric vehicles, and track day etiquette. The episode concludes with details about their upcoming live podcast at the Time to Drive Festival in Miami featuring Indy legend Scott Dixon.

  • When expanding a commercial building, zoning and permitting delays are typically enforced by local municipal offices rather than state-level regulations. 10:33
  • The updated Maserati Gran Turismo offers an impressive ride and steering ratio, though its aggressive exhaust burble duration can feel inconsistent. 34:09
  • Being predictable on a race track means holding your racing line so faster drivers know where to expect you during an overtake. 1:19:08

Chapters

  1. 0:00
    Podcast Intro and Avance Sponsorship

    Hosts introduce the episode and promote Avance’s tire discounts and membership benefits.

  2. 1:16
    Meatball Anecdote and Vermont Humor

    Zack shares a light‑hearted story about eating meatballs in Woodstock, Vermont, sparking banter about regional cuisine.

  3. 2:35
    Los Angeles Voting and City Structure Debate

    The hosts discuss the complexities of voting in LA County, unincorporated areas, and the frustration of city governance.

  4. 9:34
    Gardena Building Permit Frustrations

    Zack recounts the prolonged, costly permitting process for expanding his facility in Gardena, blaming city bureaucracy rather than state law.

  5. 49:40
    Miami Time to Drive Festival Announcement

    Hosts announce the upcoming festival, guest Scott Dixon, and promotional details for listeners.

  6. 58:49
    Maserati Brand Perception and Strategy

    Discussion on Maserati’s legacy, current challenges, and ideas for revitalizing brand appeal.

  7. 1:03:30
    Choosing a Summer Daily Driver

    A detailed comparison of 400‑horsepower rear‑wheel‑drive cars to help listeners pick the best daily driver.

  8. 1:04:09
    Luxury Car Value vs. Investment Debate

    Hosts debate whether high‑end cars should be treated as toys or appreciating assets, citing recent market trends.

  9. 1:21:29
    Racing Fundamentals and Common Misconceptions

    Hosts share practical racing advice, debunking myths about coasting and braking techniques.

  10. 1:25:51
    V10 Engines: Past, Present, and Future

    Exploration of the decline of V10 engines in production cars and their status in modern vehicles.

  11. 1:27:59
    Episode Wrap‑Up and Future Plans

    Final thoughts, gratitude to patrons, and hints at upcoming projects and shows.

Highlights

  • 10:33

    Misplaced Blame on California Permittinginsight

    The hosts explain why public commenters incorrectly blame the state of California for lengthy commercial building permits when the actual delays are caused by local municipal planning offices.

  • 20:57

    A Year-Long Bureaucratic Shuffling Nightmarestory

    The hosts recount how an indoor parking lot categorization issue forced an 18-month permitting process, restarting demolition approvals and environmental testing multiple times.

  • 27:50

    Retirement of Municipal Plan Checkersstory

    Midway through the planning process, nearly all the plan checkers retired, leaving new staff who refused to honor previous approvals and restarted the review cycles.

  • 29:15

    Driving the Maserati Gran Turismo Lineupinsight

    The guest reviews the new Maserati Gran Turismo coupe and cabriolet, praising their grand touring comfort and steering feel while noting some oddities with the exhaust overruns.

  • 46:30

    Locating the Last Aston Martin Clutchdata

    Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell located and sold the single remaining old-school manual clutch for an older Aston Martin model.

  • 57:17

    Highway Driving Styles Comparisondebate

    The hosts debate the merits of European versus American highway driving, noting that strict single-speed enforcement abroad creates a monotonous commute compared to weaving through traffic.

  • 58:52

    Maserati Needs a Modern Cultural Wininsight

    The guest argues that Maserati relies too heavily on past racing heritage without winning modern motorsport events or cultural relevance in film franchises like James Bond.

  • 1:21:53

    The Tato Racing Line Discoverystrategy

    The host shares a breakthrough realization about racing lines at Cota, where a specific pro driver utilized a counter-intuitive coasting strategy through S-curves.

Quotes

  • “The state just sets the rules, and this wasn't about us not meeting the rules.”
    Matt Farah · 11:13
  • “If you have a parking lot, you don't need any special permitting. You just open a parking lot.”
    Matt Farah · 21:15
  • “The city is then what ends up holding you up in permitting.”
    Matt Farah · 10:56
  • “The city enforces the building codes, issues the permits, reviews the plans, all of that shit.”
    Matt Farah · 11:19
  • “I recommend everybody reset their Instagram algorithm, the day after election day particularly.”
    Matt Farah · 49:22
  • “If you're in Miami, last chance to come see us at the Time to Drive Festival this coming weekend.”
    Matt Farah · 49:40
  • “People should go back to treating them like toys.”
    Unnamed speaker · 1:04:09
  • Avance 0:00–0:53
  • Brian James Trailers 12:11–14:10
  • Delete Me 14:10–16:10
  • True Work 29:23–31:17
  • Align Footwear 31:17–33:01
  • Patreon 50:21–50:38

About this episode

Matt Farah corrects the record on his building delays in California; Zack Klapman reviews the new Maserati GranTurismo and Grecale. Patreon questions include: Will the Porsche Mission S have special trims (GTS, GT3)? The ONE thing Maserati needs Which car company has the biggest price spread? How to find a Lemons seat More watch brands working with car companies? Is track insurance a good idea? Driving in the U. S. vs abroad HELP! Cross-shopping: M2 vs Mustang GT vs C7 GS vs 370Z vs Supra Used: Audi RS3 or F80 M3? Should people learn to drive in EVs? How NOT to give racing advice And more! Recorded November 4, 2026 Avants https://avants.com/tst use code TST for 10% off your membership! Align Shoes Get 20% off your first pair with code “TIRE” at checkout at https://alignshoe.com. Promotion valid for 20% off one pair of full-priced footwear with code TIRE. Offer not valid for items on sale. DeleteMe Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/tire and use promo code TIRE at checkout. Truewerk Go to https://TRUEWERK. COM/tireand use code tire to get 15% off your first order. TRUEWERK, Built Like It Matters. Brian James Trailers Visit Brian James Trailers at SEMA this week booth #24933 in the Central Hall or check out https://brianjamestrailers.com Want your question answered? Want to watch the live stream, get ad-free podcasts, or exclusive podcasts? Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thesmokingtirepodcast Instagram: https://www. Instagram.com/thesmokingtire https://www. Instagram.com/therealzackklapman

Transcript

0:00
1:29:05

15,615 words · 2 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • Maserati 911T
  • Mercedes
  • Aston Martin
  • Maserati
  • Los Angeles
  • 911
  • FSD
  • Gardena
  • Malibu
  • Woodstock Vermont

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