DETROIT POD CITY! We're coming to you, Michigan! The Smoking Tire Podcast Live Featuring @christianjameshand August 13th at @248garage right on Woodward Ave in Royal Oak! Tickets are extremely limited so don't wait and get them early! Link in bio
Remember the $275,000 911 Turbo S we're giving away? We thought it would be kind of us to do the break-in for you, so you can hop in and rip it from the go. So @therealzackklapman and I went to Zion National Park to do my favorite hike! Enter to win this bad MF in the bio!
Now THIS is a hot one right here! @westsidecollectorcarstorage is proud to present on behalf of our good client this INCREDIBLE 2012 Porsche 997 Carrera 4S Cabriolet with just 12k original miles! The PDK equipped example is a great color combo, with the best set of wheels available at the time, and a fresh service. I drove it for the listing, and the seats and interior are a true time capsule - like a brand new car. Would make a fabulous first Porsche, a fabulous four-season daily driver, or, as one of only 95 Carrera 4S Cabs produced in 2012, could be part of a well-rounded collection. All boxes checked here. Check it out on @bringatrailer now! L--I---B!
Still the best daily driver ever
Midweek excursion to see @lordhuron at the SB Bowl (a fucking superb venue). 200 Miles on the Spyder, burritos in Carpinteria, and a very expensive hotel with no morning coffee and a window directly from the bed into the shitter, but walking distance from the venue. Protip! get to the bowl early, go to the bar up top and grab a spot along the wall with a blood-orange heffeqeizen for the best sunset view in town.
Ran into this bad MF in Malibu yesterday - the Argentinian @sp40restomod ! This just looks incredible. Heavily inspired by a custom "European style" car commissioned by Edsel Ford in the 40's, it's got a tube frame, a carbon body, Ford Coyote power, and weighs only 2,600 lbs! Yes, I have asked for a go, and we will be doing that next week. What do you think - is this $500k motoring experience?
The Lake Suwa has not gotten nearly enough wrist time in the last 4 years, and that's changing today. The problem was taper on the bracelet, or the lack thereof. Too much chunk on the bracelet compared to the case (solved in the latest USHIO release!) But @underthecuffofficial just came out with these DOPE cut-to-fit , curved-end rubber straps with a super slim butterfly deployant clasp. There are a few different cloth-like textures on the outside. The 20mm fits the Canyon perfectly, and the 22 absolutely nails it on my Lake Suwa. They did not pay me to write this but they are our official partner with cloth straps for the Canyon, and I love this product so you can expect our NEXT watch release to come with one of these!
Manx Update! After 1,000 miles of road driving in the first year, the Radial goes back to @meyersmanx for a round of upgrades and development! First off, the crew have overcome the engineering limitations of high-speed cooling by installing a secondary front-mount radiator hidden in the nose. Secondly, they are upgrading the "purge" valves, as the originals were wearing out too fast and bleeding compression over time. Third, the latest revision to the MoTEC tune based on my driving feedback - seeking *less* response, actuall, as it's a bit jumpy in the low gears. Then a full nut-and-bolt, as we got bounced around quite a bit at the @fat.icerace . Lastly, of course, fixing my self-ejecting horn button, lol. Working with this company has been such a good time!
IG Review: @kimera_automobili 037 Evo!
While in Indy for the race, my pals at @grahamrahalperformance tossed me the keys to this incredible machine for a quick go on some rural farm roads!
THE GREAT: Wow, so much. The striking looks, the way it throws back to the original 037 but brings it to today in exactly the right shape and size. The bespoke twin-charged four-cylinder engine is a manic monster with decent, usable torque at the bottom and and that “being chased by a swam of bees” sound up top. ALL the turbo, blower, blow-off, and engine noises make it into the cabin at just the right volume. At 505 horsepower and just 2,425 lbs, the thing absolutely scoots down the road but stops just short of scary. Great gearing. Has more brake than it needs, and great pedal feel. And it actually looks and feels like a modern day alt Lancia could have built it - bang on Group B fantasy camp.
THE GOOD: I can actually fit in it comfortably, as long as I remove my shoes. The startup procedure is equal parts stupid and brilliant theater, like my Manx. Nearly all knobs and switches are either very premium, or just like the original car’s were. Almost. Has a beautiful ride given the extreme mission. Seems like it would handle well, but Indiana has no curves, so we don’t know.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD: Yeah it’s a race car reboot, but the steering wheel and drive mode “ring light” buttons are low-rent SEMA parts for $1.3M. The clutch is heavy with a short throw and vague friction zone; fine for rallying but know your audience - it’s too stallable. And despite narrow 235 front tires, it tramlines and wanders on the road a bit (GRP said this car *just* arrived off the boat and may need an alignment).
THE BOTTOM LINE: This is no one’s first collector car. But once you’ve had everything else, this is the final boss of off-the-deep-end motorsport theater. Fizzy in all the right ways, and equal measures of quirk. Add to your Powerball mood boards today. My kingdom to spend a day with one on gravel. S/O to @grahamrahal and the team at @grahamrahalperformance for the go! It's in inventory!
Raw Dog: @guntherwerks F26 Slantnose. It's...a lot.
IG Review: @GrahamRahalPerformance GTH P39! First off, apologies the nose lift is raised in literally every photo. I was paranoid when parking and forgot to lower it.
THE DEAL: This coach built 991.2 Turbo S project is wild. It makes 950 crank HP on pump gas and thanks to liberal use of Carbon Fiber on the body work, only weighs a little more than a stock car. GRP plans to build ten.
THE GREAT: Starting with a car as good as a Turbo S, it’s yours to fuck up. Judge the appearance for yourself, but dynamically, the car is great. It may look wildly aggressive, and it is fast, but it’s *smooth* and rides absolutely beautifully. The power is explosive, yes, but manageable and refined in its presentation. The interior is upgraded to an OEM+ standard, with very cool door card and leather enhancements. Carbon buckets are reasonably comfortable once seated, but stock 18-ways can be ordered and re-trimmed to fit. Roof scoops are functional and sound awesome. LOADS of cool turbo sounds.
THE GOOD: Graham calls it multidisciplinary, though clearly set up for road, with relaxed steering and mannerisms. It will easily run mid-nines in the quarter mile and features active aerodynamics like an extendable front splitter, hydraulic spoiler, and pushbutton DRS. And even if you don’t personally love how it looks, the P39 will draw a crowd, with jaws on the floor and phones up as I returned it to a crowded coffee shop at GRP
THE NOT-SO-GOOD: Roof scoop removes the rear window, which means a shitty camera mirror. From some angles, it looks awkward, though trust me the whole thing works better in person. You have to remove the entire rear clam shell to do any service beyond an oil change and pass-through front radiator means RIP frunk.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The photos didn’t hook me to go drive it; the power did. But I enjoyed the GTH P39 *far* more than I expected to, and it drives much more refined than it looks. Pricey, but in a sea of PTS-but-stock 911’s, this is truly something different.
@GrahamRahalPerformance provided the vehicle and an unmounted dealer plate for this review.
Great to spend a little time with @grahamrahal after the 500 this weekend (lots more on that in this week's podcast). But his @grahamrahalperformance showroom, service and PPF shop is dope as hell, plus @wheelhouse_social was the coolest spot in Indy (outside the track on race day). Even got to meet a childhood idol, the legend @jfr_racing !!! Graham tossed @spikeferesten and I the keys to a couple special toys for an afternoon of terrorizing livestock as we blasted across farm roads, and I'll have IG reviews of those two forthwith!!
