Very Vehicular

Very Vehicular welcomes RJ de Vera! Each season we like to bring on a guest from inside the automotive industry whose position and experience helps us better understand the issues facing car culture, and while RJ is more than qualified in that regard, there’s more that he’s done… much more! He was a foundational part of the import scene in the 90s, working as a writer and photographer for Super Street before ascending to Editor at Large. He was the go-to guy on the scene consulting for a plethora of OEMs and brands looking to break off a little piece of the magic for themselves. He even had a role in a notable movie franchise - word to the wise is he’s still collecting residual checks for his on-screen role to this day. Trading the underground for a storied chapter in the corporate world (twelve years at 3M / Meguiars no less), he’s now taken his rightful place atop the mountain as Vice President of Marketing at SEMA. Of most interest to us though? He’s a fully paid-up, card-carrying car nerd, with extraordinary stories and an insight into car culture you won’t want to miss. Enjoy!

@RJ_Devera
@BrianScotto
@321ActionAction

Partners:
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Editor: Julius Adorsu @adorsu.j
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
03:36 - Car Culture Health Check
09:23 - SEMA Advocacy Battles
13:14 - Car Audio Nostalgia
14:27 - Magazine Era Memories
15:18 - Hot Import Nights Explained
23:16 - Was RJ the First Automotive Influencer?
29:38 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
31:14 - Fast and Furious - How That All Came About
35:19 - S2000 Movie Afterlife
36:48 - Fast Franchise Tipping Points
37:43 - Tokyo Drift and Drifting Boom
39:06 - Sneakers Meet Car Culture
41:25 - Mark Arcenal and Fatlace
46:02 - Before Fast Breakthrough
49:51 - Early Days with Super Street
52:13 - Building a Brand in 2026
55:09 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions
57:09 - RJ’s Daily Driver - From an SLS to an Accord?
01:01:03 - TE37s on an Alpina
01:05:03 - Too Much Tech in Cars - ADAS, Last Good Year?
01:09:39 - Hunting A Honda Project - Everybody’s After the Same Girl
01:15:12 - Aston Vantage F1 Love
01:17:07 - Shooting Brakes And BMWs
01:18:25 - Was the Audi R8 the True Successor to the NSX?
01:21:40 - Only One Car To Keep, Scotto?
01:23:35 - Door Handle Obsession
01:29:37 - Gran Turismo Changed Everything
01:31:52 - Gaming Saved Car Culture: Theyr’e the New Magazines
01:38:26 - Brush with a Racing Career
01:41:10 - Favorite Tracks
01:45:26 - From Racing to Film Sets
01:48:18 - Fast and Furious Legacy
01:53:23 - Inspiring the Next Generation
01:58:11 - Why He Joined SEMA
02:01:09 - What SEMA Actually Does
02:10:44 - 3M Stands for Meetings Meetings Meetings
02:18:34 - Digital Media Shift
02:25:51 - Going to SEMA as a Civilian for Once
02:30:04 - No Seatbelts in Osaka, a Close Brush with Death
02:36:32 - Sketchy Ride Hall of Fame
02:42:22 - Motorcycles and Fear
02:44:47 - Rally Hillclimb Dreams
02:48:08 - Circuit Racing Aesthetics - Why Liveries Matter
02:52:54 - What are the Modern “It” Cars?
02:57:17 - Aftermarket Parts for 90s Cars - A Revival?
03:01:29 - Hope for Car Culture

It’s the Battle of the Generations on Very Vehicular this week, as our three guests debate their views on car culture. Representing Gen X is your host, Scotto. In the tastefully grey (or is it green these days?) Millennial corner, it’s returning friend of the pod, Ron Zaras, and lastly, hoisting the flag for all of Gen Z, we’ve got newcomer Chaz Warren (@ChazzyDawg). Chazzy made his name in the world of film photography, where his visceral style found viral success on Instagram, his camera acting as a passport to a world of cars he’d only dreamed of being able to approach. Now, alongside working for big names in the industry, he’s set his sights on creating his own culture of photo-forward meets, where the old rules don’t apply, as he brings community to legions of young car worshippers, whether they’re toting analog or digital machinery. So whether you’re prehistoric; or barely old enough to sneak out of the house unhindered by your parents tracking you on Life360, find out what this unusual council makes of it all. Enjoy.

@ChazzyDawg
@RonCar
@AntiLag
@BrianScotto
@321ActionAction

Partners:
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Editor: Julius Adorsu @adorsu.j
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
02:42 - Chazzy Origin Story
04:39 - It All Started With Midnight Club 2
08:03 - Access and Car Meets
11:00 - First Serious Shoots
14:24 - Is Automotive Culture Peak Right Now?
18:44 - Drifting as the Next Wave
23:01 - $100K Dream Car You Could Buy From A Dealership Today
28:36 - Favorite Motorsport
34:57 - Style Over Specs
36:05 - Do Kids Care About Supercars and Hypercars?
37:22 - When Was Peak Hypercar?
40:34 - EV Emotion Debate
44:30 - Cybertruck Reality Check
45:00 - Car Prices Are out of Control
47:15 - Automotive Gentrification
52:43 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
54:09 - Takeovers Then vs Now
58:54 - Clout Culture and Danger
01:09:32 - Legal Places to Slide
01:16:20 - Hooning Isn’t a Crime
01:17:17 - Getting Pulled Over
01:22:04 - Is There Still Love for RWB?
01:23:31 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions
01:25:16 - That Time Scotto Nearly Killed Himself and Ron in the 911 Turbo
01:28:44 - Is It Time for Spinners to Make a Comback?
01:35:13 - Is the Answer Always Japan and JDM?
01:46:11 - Do Kids Really Like Burble Tune?
01:51:55 - Hearing 2-Step in the Flesh
01:54:37 - Street Legal Race Cars
01:56:24 - Photo Meets and Community
01:58:42 - We Need to Bring Back Cruising
01:59:50 - DTLA Car District on the Rise
02:02:34 - Learning from Low Rider Culture
02:06:59 - Three Car Garage Picks
02:15:33 - Dailying an RS6?

We’re joined this week by Jean Pierre Kraemer, of JP Performance, undoubtedly the biggest automotive YouTuber in Germany, and one of the most successful creators on the planet. He’s a TV star and celebrity, builder of hundreds of builds from the classic, to the electrified ultramodern and everything in between. Not just content to produce content (ha) he owns and runs no fewer than sixteen businesses, and his complex in his native Dortmund is droolworthy. There’s the workshop itself, a burger bar, a theater-style dyno and down the block, his very own Pace Car Museum, housing his own creations alongside a staggering assortment of motorsport and car culture’s most significant metal. If all this doesn’t leave you breathless to find out how he did it, what’s next and what he thinks of the US? Well there’s no hope for you – you’ll just have to listen! Enjoy.

@JPPerformance
@BrianScotto
@321ActionAction

Partners:
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
02:32 - Fame in Europe vs America
09:53 - Quitting TV for YouTube
12:56 - Building a Business Empire
14:32 - 121 Cars and Collector Mindset
18:00 - YouTube Pressure and Planning 2 Years Ahead
23:17 - Peak Car Culture and the 90s
30:46 - Social Media Trends and Gatekeeping
35:50 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
37:26 - YouTube is Changing
40:31 - Staying Fresh After 16 Years
41:33 - Gratitude Versus Burnout
50:25 - YouTube Celebrity Reality
59:03 - The Evil of the TUV: Germany’s Car Crackdown
01:06:26 - How Do We Keep Car Culture Alive?
01:18:38 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions
01:20:32 - First Time in a Porsche: F**king One’s Way to the Top?
01:23:48 - Chasing Analog Emotion
01:25:45 - When was the Best Era in Cars?
01:29:23 - EV Pushback Reality Check
01:35:48 - Hidden Concepts And Halos
01:37:59 - Audi Nuvolari Design Critique
01:45:02 - Design of the Hoonitron
01:47:34 - Brand DNA Versus Driving Feel
01:50:50 - Korean & Chinese Cars Shock Everyone
01:57:29 - Where EVs Actually Work
02:00:58 - Taycan Temptation
02:02:45 - Hybrids and Range Extenders
02:06:14 - Building Base Cars… like the Hoonicorn
02:09:45 - Favorite Cars and Nostalgia
02:14:31 - Road Trips and Flyover States
02:16:25 - Donk Magazine Origins
02:22:34 - Fame and Freedom in America
02:29:19 - Creators Giving Back
02:32:41 - Racetracks Disappearing
02:34:24 - Car Culture Criminalized
02:36:38 - Getting Pulled Over
02:37:23 - Top Speed Confessions
02:38:32 - Autobahn Culture Debate
02:39:54 - America Through German Eyes
02:42:13 - Car YouTube in the US vs Germany
02:49:13 - Sponsors and Creative Control
02:53:31 - Algorithm Fatigue and Return to Paid Content?
02:59:00 - Creative Friction, a.k.a. F**k AI
03:07:39 - Creator Business Models
03:10:35 - What’s Next… Buying Scotto’s 360?

Firing Order is BACK for Season 4 of Very Vehicular, and we’re bringing you an absolute heater of a first episode with veteran motoring journalist and podcaster Matt Farah (The Smoking Tire) as well as Our Cousin Vinny: Vin Anatra. If you’re new around here, the aim of the show is simple: to form a definite ranking (which definitely isn’t just the opinions of whichever three lovable idiots are on that particular week), and this week it’s the most overhyped hero cars, that you wish you’d never met! Our hosts have decades and decades (and dec—) of seat time between them across a plethora of automotive heroes: from the pedestrian (ha) to the decidedly exotic! Stay tuned, to find out which one will top the list. Enjoy. 

@TheSmokingTire
@Vin_tra
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Mentioned in Episode:
Racing FIVE Cars up America’s Most Brutal Mountain with Betim Berisha and Steven Wetterau

Greatest Camaro Ever Built? 8500rpm LS7 DSE-Z 3rd Gen

1100hp 1972 AMC Javelin, Ringbrothers' Defiant //DT224

CHEAP FERRARI, EXPENSIVE HONDA. THE TABLES HAVE TURNED!

I Rescued This Original Owner Twin Turbo Supra!

GTR-Registry.com - EN-R35-Colours

1975 Lancia Stratos HF Group 4 Works - One Take

LEGEND!! 1988 Callaway Twin Turbo C4 Corvette - One Take

First to Get A Ticket Challenge - Full Video

Partners:
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome to Season 4
02:19 - Why Matt is Real-life Bowser in Mario Kart
05:39 - Let’s Go Over the Rules… So We Can Ignore Them
06:46 - Matt’s List
29:56 - Vinny’s List
35:22 - Mileage Prison and Odo Tricks
50:42 - Barrett-Jackson Cheap Thrills
52:54 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
54:20 - Pikes Peak Showcase
54:43 - Scotto’s List
01:16:16 - Blindspots (from Patreon)
01:31:04 - Final Round Setup
01:40:15 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions
01:41:56 - Ranking the Five
01:50:28 - Final List Revealed

Racing FIVE Cars up America’s Most Brutal Mountain with Betim Berisha and Steven Wetterau

This week we’re trying out something brand new: a Very Vehicular Showcase: PIKES PEAK SPECIAL Episode with Betim Berisha (of BBi Autosport) and Steve Wetterau! It’s a bit of an experiment but we wanted to take the time to explore a subject in a more involved way, bringing you closer to the action with more footage and images, and what better to kick off with than the mysticism of the Brutal Mountain itself: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – the ‘Race to the Clouds! Our guests this week have done battle at the mountain for several years and faced unimaginable challenges, but this year… they’re not going back? Stay tuned as they explain it all. Enjoy!

@BBiAutosport
@Steve.Wetterau
@BrianScotto 
@321ActionAction

Footage from:
Toyo Tires
Will Roegge
Brandon Kado
Schaine McDougall
Hoonigan
Mobil 1
Calvin Salacain
Loni Unser
Brian Scotto

Partners:
Vyper Industrial
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts
Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
00:45 - The Allure of the Mountain
03:08 - Why We’re Not Going This Year
04:54 - The Chaos Addiction
09:07 - A Poster, A Legend and a Dream
15:06 - Welcome to the Scrappy Underdogs
16:04 - How Steve Came Onboard
22:31 - Hell and Heaven on Earth: Living Through Pikes
28:38 - The Three-Car Year
29:57 - 2022: The Hoonipig
34:29 - Lia Block Takes the Wheel
35:40 - Sometimes, Your Heart Just Stops: Literally
37:59 - Back from the Brink: Project EVO
41:08 - BBi Team are Tough as Nails
42:51 - 2024: Everything that Can Go Wrong…?
48:32 - Redemption
51:42 - Steve Eyes Up GT4
57:15 - Sometimes, you Gotta Make a Phonecall… to Aston Martin Racing
01:03:26 - Off to the Races, in a Hurry!
01:12:48 - Superstition Versus Confidence
01:14:46 - Windstorm - the Mountain Decides
01:16:16 - An Asterisk Year
01:18:54 - Putting Together a Run
01:29:04 - Team Results And Redemption
01:31:07 - Future Plans