The Avants Podcast

We recorded this episode live at the Avants Magazine Launch at MotoFish in Redmond! This little bonus episode includes stories from Zachary Philip, one of the first Rivian R1T owners, Sean McDonough, the Exotics “Gatekeeper”, Alex Kochis, who’s Luftgekühlt Porsche 911 Safari is featured in this issue of the Avants Magazine, and Michele Graaff, who wrote the main Land Rover article for the most rec...

If there is one common theme we have found among the many successful professional drivers we have interviewed, it’s that they work harder than anyone else we know to succeed. Benjamin Pedersen is no exception. Twice-a-day workouts, multiple hours in a simulator, engineering sessions, it’s all just part of a normal day for Benjamin. Now living in Indianapolis, Benjamin joins us online for this inte...

For the first official Avants Podcast, we bring in the Alpha of Alfas, Fred Russell! Not only is he an expert in all things Alfa Romeo as the President of the Northwest Alfa Romeo Club, he also has one of the most interesting careers you will ever come across. As a full time collection manager, Fred gets experiences most of us can only dream about. No one just handed Fred the keys and said “have a...

After almost 4 1/2 years, the Rain City Supercars Podcast comes to a close with this final episode. We have taken an opportunity to join our friends in Avants and the show going forward will be the official Avants Podcast! We won't be changing the format of the show much and you'll be treated with more guests from near and far. You won't need to subscribe anywhere else and over the next week you'l...

In news that will probably shock almost no one, The Rain City Supercars Podcast is now officially The Avants Podcast . We have been working with Adam and Avants for almost 4 1/2 years now and we could not be happier to officially announce this change. We will be creating shows in the same way we always have, but now with more guests from all over the world and an even bigger show. The full catalog...

When we first recorded this episode we thought we had a pretty good idea of how the market was working, but after talking through it we realized we needed to bring in an expert. We reached out to our good friend of the show, Brian Elich, who gave us some great insights on buying a car in the current market, a different point of view on ADM, and some insight on the Tesla effect.

We welcome back Justin Osmer, founder of Turn-In Point Consulting , as he shares stories from the Forza Horizon 5 launch, driving Route 66 in his RS6 Avant, and a little info on a recent Bring A Trailer auction. If you don't want to take a massive road trip after hearing this episode, you might just be dead inside.  To see more of Justin's travels find him on Instagram at FatherFlywheel .

If we're being totally honest, we never really know what we’re going to get when we book a guest. Chad Haugen, owner of Leather Tech in Bellevue, came highly recommended and he absolutely lived up to the hype! We went to Chad to see his shop and some of his work first hand and left booking him to do some work for us! Not only is he an expert craftsman, but he turned out to be an all around interes...

On this episode we walk you through all the basics of towing a trailer! We discuss all those acronyms about weights, how to load a trailer properly, how trailer brakes work, and even balls and shackles! We also talk about the film Dan was in, "F#", by our friends at Driven Motion! 

When the members in Avants asked what basic tools everyone should have, we answered in a big way with this extended length show and a huge write-up on our Tips and Links page . We believe these are the most essential tools you should own, and also a few you may not have thought of that come in really handy. We also talk about different price points and why some tools are absolutely worth the money...

By many popular requests we finally got the guys from Zadart in to tell us all the fun stories about the exotic car rental world! Eric Reiff and Chris Roberts join us and give you all the info you want to know.

In this episode we discuss Hagerty’s 2022 Bull Market List. The whole market feels like a bull market right now, but these are the top picks from our friends at Hagerty. Some of these seem extremely predictable, but who knew the Volvo wagon was going to spike like this!? Check out the full article here from our friends at Hagerty ! Also, be sure to secure your load! Thanks to our friend Bob for th...

Dan is working on his tan and Nick is adding as many layers as possible, but we still managed to put together a new episode discussing the polar opposites of car culture we are currently in. Dan gives an update on the car culture he’s found on Oahu (and is looking for more!) and Nick gives an update on the crazy PNW Snowpocalypse that is keeping even the most prepared drivers indoors.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from us! It’s just the two of us for this holiday episode. We wish you all the best and hope you’re spending some quality time with the people you love.

You’ve probably heard that name before - Otis Porsche. If you’re like us, you probably didn’t realize Otis is actually the name of Richard and Dolores Ranhofer’s Porsche Cayenne, which sat on the dock of a bay a little too long. We meet with the elusive couple who have truly been pioneers in getting the Cayenne it’s off-road credit it actually deserves. These two have been overlanding before overl...

You’re running out of time, but you can still get really cool Christmas gifts for that special car person in your life! In fact, we made a non-affiliate link list so you know you’re not buying anything just because we make money off it. We genuinely love these products and hope you will too! You can find this list on our website in the episode notes with links! 

We don’t use that word to describe a lot of people - incredible - but it fits. From drag racing, to stunt driving, to road racing, to drifting, to rally, AND MORE, Verena Mei has basically done it all. In spite of all that, she’s still humble, charming, and was an absolute joy for us to have on the show. Enjoy this very special, extended podcast featuring a guest you won’t forget and definitely en...

We had a fun time making this kind of random episode, but we wanted to make sure you had something to listen while stuck in traffic. Thank you to all of you who are listening! We really love doing this and you are the reason we do! We talk about electric cars, autocross, the latest Avant’s Off-Road event, and more! Check out the gallery on this episode if you’re looking for a little motivation to...

We had a really great and honest interview with Nathan Merz, owner of Columbia Valley Luxury Cars . More than that, Nathan is extremely involved in the PCA, a writer, a content creator, and all around great guy. Nathan has been selling and flipping cars, especially Porsches, since he was 13 years old. From giving credit to his wife and family to being open and honest about inflated values, transpo...

Did you know you can just go sign up for a track day and go? I mean, you’ll want your car in good mechanical shape, but that’s really it. You can just go. Ann Doherty decided after receiving her dream car for her 50th birthday she was going to do just that, and now she is racing a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS.

It’s SEMA time, which means if you’re following any automotive news you’re seeing all sorts of new products coming out you probably won’t be able to buy for 6 months thanks to supply chain issues! We give a brief history of SEMA, talk winter tires (not snow tires), and a few other project updates.

Our audio here is a little rough due to limited infrastructure! Nick went to COTA and Dan went to Moab, but you definitely need to go to both! It’s an adventure update that hopefully inspires you to get out and explore!

Did you know it’s ok to change your beliefs and opinions when you get new, more credible information? Well, we do, so we thought we’d update Episode 159 and the contents of our Off-Road List , which is housed under our Tips and Links section of our website. In this longer, extensive episode we talk about updates to that list, new tips for getting out on the trail, and you NEED to check out the vid...

Dan got to watch a police chase which he caught on his dashcam so we figured now would be a good time to discuss what makes a good dashcam, how to mount it properly, and some other tips and tricks. We also go over the next few weeks as Nick is going F1 in Austin and Dan is going off-roading in Moab! There’s some serious Billy Joel talk in here too. If you’re looking a great Dashcam, our friend Ari...

We welcome Brian Nilsen with Circuit of the Northwest back as he confirms the track is coming! We also talk about customer service during COVID, DSRP vs MSRP, and welcome Daniella Lewis - head of membership for Circuit of the Northwest. We are very excited to have another track that's really happening, but it's going to be so much more than just another track!