Caffeine and Octane Podcast

Gray Bishop joins Grant Van Brewer on the Caffeine & Octane Podcast to talk Corsa Rally, Atlanta car culture, the Aston Martin DB11 AMR, and cars in film. Gray shares stories from his journey through the automotive world, from exotic-car rallies and Caffeine & Octane to putting cars on movie sets and working on Takeover. Plus, they dive into supercars, car culture, rallies, and some rapid-...

<p>From W204 AMGs and unforgettable mountain drives to R8s, GT3s, and years inside Atlanta’s automotive community, Dani Freedman has experienced car culture from more than one angle.</p> <p>On Episode 20 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Grant Van Brewer sits down with longtime friend Dani Freedman to talk about their early AMG days, Dani’s journey fro...

Paarth Shah joins Grant Van Brewer on Episode 22 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast to talk about his journey from discovering Japanese cars through video games to traveling to Japan and building ATL JDM. They dive into what it really takes to source and import JDM cars, the risks and realities buyers don’t always see, how the JDM scene has changed over the years, and which Japanese cars enthusi...

Garrett Reed built AmericanMuscleHD into an automotive media brand with more than 2.4 million followers—before being an “influencer” was really a career. On Episode 23 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Garrett joins host Grant Van Brewer to talk about turning a lifelong passion for cars into a career, building credibility with major automotive brands, SEMA, OEM relationships, and what it’s lik...

In Episode 19 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Atlanta artist and automotive creator Amir “Mr. Totem” Alighanbari for a conversation about art, cars, creativity, and building something that unmistakably reflects who you are. Totem’s passion for cars began with his father’s 1968 Camaro, but over the years, his worlds of art and automotive culture began to c...

From growing up around Los Angeles lowrider culture to helping carry that culture forward in Atlanta, Keith “Big Whit” Whitner has a story that goes far beyond the cars. On Episode 24 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Grant Van Brewer sits down with Big Whit of Obsession Car Club to talk about his early days around lowriders, his first ’64 Impala, his professional baseball journey, and how Atl...

What happens when car storage becomes a community—and a trip to Barrett-Jackson turns into a collection of impulse buys? Grant Van Brewer sits down with Dave Codrea of Ride Lounge to talk Atlanta car culture, the friendships behind the cars, and what goes into building a space where enthusiasts want to hang out. From a wild-paint 240Z and a Porsche 928 to the story behind a $13,000, high-mileage M...

Anderson Dick built his first ECU in his bedroom at 19 because he wanted something better for his own car. That project became FuelTech. On Episode 26 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Anderson joins Grant Van Brewer to talk about starting the company in Brazil, breaking into the U.S. market, and testing new ideas on his own cars. There’s plenty to talk about in his garage, including a Ferrari...

Stephen Moore joins Caffeine and Octane to discuss restoring his number‑matching 1965 Riviera, running a one‑of‑one Pro Mod Vega, and building street‑drivable race cars like a stretched GT40. He also explains Shield Tech’s work solving hidden heat and underbody cooling challenges for major OEMs. Along the way he shares father‑son projects, lessons from drag racing, and how practical engineering ke...

From the early Datsun Z cars to the Nissan Zs that followed, few nameplates have built a legacy quite like the Z. In Episode 17 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Grant Van Brewer sits down with Vince Cory to talk about his life around cars, his time with Gwinnett Performance, and his longtime passion for Datsun and Nissan Z cars. Vince shares stories from his years in the automotive world, his...

What do coffee machines, Porsches, and automotive design have in common? In this episode of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, Grant Van Brewer sits down with Matt Kossoff to explore the mindset behind building products for enthusiasts. From founding Milton Coffee Co. and Founders Parts to curating an incredible collection of modern performance cars, Matt shares why the smallest details matter—and...

In Episode 15 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with longtime Honda enthusiast Tom Hornsby to talk about his passion for Hondas and the story behind his supercharged K20 Civic hatchback. Tom takes us back to his early Honda days, including a pair of ’92 Civic hatchbacks he and his wife owned in the late ’90s, and shares how that passion eventually evolved into t...

Only 15 were built worldwide — and one is here at Caffeine & Octane. In Episode 14 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Derick Lee of Sector 32 Motorsports to talk McLaren, the evolution of Sector 32, and one of the rarest track-focused McLarens ever produced: the 720S GT3X. Derick and Grant go back nearly a decade through the McLaren world, from their tim...

This week, Grant Van Brewer sits down with Skye Smith—one of Atlanta's most recognizable media personalities. Known as a longtime voice on B98.5, Skye has spent nearly two decades entertaining audiences across radio, television, film, and the red carpet while inspiring others through her Your Life Cheerleader podcast. In this episode, we talk about: Skye's journey from radio intern to Atlanta medi...

What does it take to build one of the most respected automotive communities in the country? In Episode 12 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Mike Forsythe, better known to many enthusiasts as the "Lexus Legend." Mike shares his journey through the automotive world, from his passion for Lexus and performance driving to his years of helping grow one of the str...

In Episode 11, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with John Gibson, entrepreneur, former CEO and co-founder of Tripwire Interactive, current CEO of Templar Media, and passionate automotive enthusiast with an incredible collection of exotic, JDM, and classic performance cars. John shares his remarkable journey from being broke, without a job or even a reliable car, to building one of the most successf...

In this episode of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Leah Voulopos to talk about her journey through the automotive industry, from working with brands like Porsche and Toyota to her current role at Flyin' Wrench Motorsports. Leah shares how her passion for cars began, what led her to make the automotive world her career, and why her BMW E30 remains such an imp...

In this episode of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Emran Alborno, co-owner of Car Tunes Atlanta, to discuss the world of high-end automotive electronics, custom integrations, exotic car builds, and the relationships that have helped make Car Tunes one of the most respected names in the industry. From Ferraris and Lamborghinis to Brabus builds and Porsche 911...

In this episode Grant talks with Deanne, a longtime car enthusiast who shares her journey from Celicas and an MR2 to a heavily built Z32 and a rare Z34 Protospec. She discusses building a reliable high-performance 300ZX, learning on the track in her Supra, and how car communities helped her grow. Deanne reflects on the challenges of building and trusting the right people, the joy of inspiring othe...

Recorded live at the Sandy Springs Invitational Car Show, this episode features Ed Bolian discussing his collection—highlighting a 2012 Bugatti Veyron, the restored Victoria’s Secret Lamborghini Diablo, and his Spyker C8—along with behind-the-scenes tales of finding, restoring and driving rare cars. Ed also talks about VinWiki, Car Trek, the importance of car culture and community at Caffeine &amp...

In this episode Grant Bambreuer sits down with endurance racing star Ryan Hardwick to discuss his journey from building a power sports empire to winning Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. Ryan shares his racing origins, recovery from a serious brain injury, partnerships like First Form, and highlights from his exotic car collection — all while balancing family...

Host Graham Van Buren talks with Adam, cofounder of Preve Driver Society, about running a curated, 50-member private track club that prioritizes quality track time for busy enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. They discuss Atlanta's growing car scene at the Sandy Springs Invitational, notable cars on display, the value of curation and community, ownership insights on cars like the McLaren 600LT, 992 GT3...

What happens when a lifelong passion for cars turns into a family business? In Episode 4 of the Caffeine & Octane Podcast, host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Mike and Patrick Riordan of Fly My Ride to talk about car culture, entrepreneurship, and building a business together as father and son. From early automotive memories to launching and growing a premium mobile detailing company, this ep...

Host Grant Van Brewer sits down with Porsche enthusiast John Greenberg to trace his automotive journey, from early Caffeine & Octane memories to buying a Spyder RS. They cover track days, the Atlanta car community, memorable moments at shows, and why Caffeine & Octane remains a must-attend event for car lovers.

In this episode of the Caffeine and Octane Podcast, we sit down with Justin Norton, founder of Atlanta Custom Wraps, to talk about passion, entrepreneurship, and the creativity behind one of the most exciting segments of the automotive industry. Justin shares the story of how he built Atlanta Custom Wraps and turned a passion for cars and design into a thriving business. From high-end vehicle wrap...