Join hosts Dan Putnam and Nick Bergeron as they get to know industry leading guests beyond just what they drive. The Avants Podcast is never scripted and never predictable, but it’s always a good time and full of surprises. You won’t find any boring reviews that sound like reading off a pre-planned info sheet, ”history of” shows that are reworded Wikipedia articles, or advertisements for the next new foam mattress here! The Avants Podcast focuses on making sure guests are always authentic, j ...
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Formula Drift PROSPEC Driver Justin Chesnutt drifts on in the Avants Podcast this week and talks all things drifting with us! As the owner of After Hours Autosports, Justin isn't just a driver, but he knows a ton about car builds and proper setup for drifting. He's a great resource for anyone looking to get into the sport or who might just be curio…
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On this weeks episode we have Adam Cote of Ceramic Pro here to demystify all those different paint coatings you keep hearing about. Adam tells us all about different coatings, how to maintain them, if you can apply them yourself, and every other question we could think of asking him.By Avants
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Cristy Lee is almost a household name if you're into the car shows, but she does so much more than that. Cristy joins us this week to discuss her love for all things automotive, motorcycles, home improvement, and now... sculpting? Cristy is as fun and friendly as she appears on the screen and a real enthusiast you just have to like. We had such a f…
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Live from the Rebelle Rally, It's Team Velocity!
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Karisa Haydon and Trista Smith give us a live update from the Rebelle Rally! They're currently sitting in 5th place, but the rally is far from over. They've had some really close calls and some 4 wheel air time already with more exciting updates to come. Follow along on their journey at on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/live/R0IW8nd6ELM?si=n…
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Nick went to the RV show, the Crosstrek is king according to Consumer Reports, most car "refrigerators" are junk, and more on this weeks shoptalk! We're looking for you remote workers who really are embracing that remote life! Are you living on the road and traveling in a van? We want to talk to you and hear more about your life. Give us a call at …
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A New Ring Record, A New McLaren Hypercar, and Ford Makes a Ranger Raptor
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Mercedes recently stomped the latest ring record with a blistering 6:29 second run, McLaren drops the P1 successor, and did you know Ford makes a RANGER RAPTOR? Who knew? Hint, not the guy at Griots last weekend. It's a tough time for car makers right now. Nissan, Stellantis, Tesla and more are making serious cuts to once top selling models as car …
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Colton and Will Take Us to the Cascade Edge
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We've got Colton Edwards and Will Morris from Cascade Edge Motorsports this week talking to us about their journey to motorsports. They are yet another reminder that you even if you started a little later in life, you can still have an amazing career in motorsports with a lot of hard work and dedication. They're also driving instructors down with o…
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We took the Monkeys and Groms to Moab and survived! We tackled Onion Creek, Kokopelli, Hell's Revenge, Fins and Things, Shafer Trail, Chicken Corners, and several trips through Moab traffic all without dying! We even put the GMC HD AEV through its paces tackling Top of the World. It wasn't an easy however with two of the bikes taking some ride-endi…
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This week Curtis Creager joins us in the studio to discuss his return from the Nurburgring! Back in February Curtis joined and discussed his plans for his first time there, and now he's back with all the good stories and more tips and tricks to help you get ready for the big day. Thumbnail photo credit to Jason Tang.…
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We welcome back Brian Elich for some shop talk around buying a previous gen vehicle and upgrading or buying new with all the options. It's a huge price difference, but is the peace of mind worth it? Dan goes and checks out the new GX550 and still thinks you should probably just buy a Raptor.By Avants
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We Hate Haptic Feedback Buttons and So Should You
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On this episode we discuss the the new car reveals that worth looking at from Monterey, an automatic noise ordinance camera tickets a car with a stock exhaust, Drivers Assistance features are proven to not actually help, a designer at Audi proves they have apparently never driven a car before, and how the tires on your new truck can easily get out …
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Enjoy the Magic of Pistons and PixieDust!
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This week we get the always impressive Faye Hadley on the show! Not just an extremely skilled automotive tech and educator she is also the co-host of MotorTrend’s All Girls Garage, and the featured mechanic on MotorTrend’s Motor Mythbusters series. You can hear all about how Faye got here, her PNW connections, and her love of chickens! Follow along…
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If you've got a Land Rover Discovery, we've got the show for you! Our friends Daniel and Emily join us to talk about their company Golden Rovers who specialize in essential accessories for Land Rovers. Emily and Daniel were famously the friends of ours who hydro locked their Land Rover discovery while out playing on Stampede Pass with us and then i…
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Do you like forest service roads? Do you like doing anything off-road? Do you like dispersed camping? Then you should be supporting the Blue Ribbon Coalition. It's hard to believe how much access we have lost to beautiful lands, and the only people really making a difference to keep our access is the Blue Ribbon Coalition. We strongly believe in tr…
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From Mendocino to Happy Camp - The Best Roads You've Never Driven
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The best driving roads aren’t the same things as the best roads. The best road in the country is Highway 12 in Utah, but the best driving road is almost every road in far northern California. Dan discusses his epic R8 road trip, Nick discusses CRF450 sales, Ranger Raptor warranty repairs, and more on this week’s Shop Talk episode.…
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Ryan ZumMallen Creates Car Books About People
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We always say the Avants Podcast is a car show about people so it made perfect sense to have someone like Ryan ZumMallen on as a guest since he creates car books about people. Ryan tells us about his publishing company Carrara Books and talks more about the book everyone should own, Cult of GTR.By Avants
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This week the newest member of the ProFormance Racing School joins us in the studio, Siena Kitch! Siena is a proud chip of the Kitch block and has been basically living and breathing the automotive racing world since the day she was born. She's smart, funny, and a great guest we know you'll love to hear! Check out ProFormance on Instagram and TikTo…
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R8 Track Days, New 911 Hybrid Doesn't Suck, and That New RS6 Avant GT
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The R8 heads to its proper home at the track next month, Porsche lets the media judge it's new hybrid, and that new RS6 Avant GT is HOT! Check out our friends at STEK USA! https://www.stek-usa.com/ Need the perfect vehicle for the PNW and beyond? Go see our friends at Carter Automotive group! https://www.carterseattle.com/…
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It finally happened! Nick got the new and Ranger Raptor and it lives up to all the hype. When it comes to factory capable trucks, Ford really set the bar with the F150 and we think they truly did it again with the Ranger. With less than 600 miles on the odometer, we put Nick’s new baby to the test by taking it over Stampede and up WABDR Section 2! …
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It's Always a Great Episode When We Get Phillip Griot
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It’s no secret we are life long fans of all things Griots and Griot's Motors is just the latest reason to like everything they do. This week Phillip Griot, owner and CEO of Griot's Motors, join us to chat about what they have been up to down the hill from the flagship store and he gives us all the great results they’ve had working with Bring A Trai…
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Lotus finally drops the Emira, a new Koenigsegg gets crispy, and more in a shorter episode this week as we prep for Classics on the Green! We know a few people who have the new Emira now and so far everyone is in love with theirs. If you have the means, we highly suggest it! In sad news, Joe Elmore passed away this past week at 80 years old. He was…
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Dylan von Kleist Takes Us to a Magical World Where Car Washes Don't Destroy Your Paint
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We know what you’re all thinking, no such magical world of convenience and safe car washing exists! Well, it turns out that John Denver wasn’t full of it and if you’re one of our lucky Avants members in Colorado you can visit one of the many Autowash locations. All brush type car washes are terrible for your paint, and many touchless car washes can…
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Someone Needs to Take Pity on Nick and Sell Him a Ranger Raptor
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Summer is coming and we want to go exploring! Dan has run out of roads and can't find any new ones and Nick needs a Ranger Raptor but can't find a decent Ford dealer to sell him one at MSRP. Won't someone please think of poor Nick and sell him a green Ranger Raptor?!By Avants
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Team Baby Bronco Grows Up to Become Team Velocity!
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When we first interviewed Karisa Haydon and Trista Smith, they were the fresh Rebelle Rally Rookies of the Year, but now they’ve grown up to Team Velocity, a Ford factory backed team! Karisa and Trista are working with Ford and driving the big Broncos now in the Rebelle Rally. If you’re thinking about giving it a shot, we’ve got the show for you. B…
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It's been a BIG week for us here at the Podcast! Nick got a puppy and a fiancé, Dan got a tractor, and car sales got slapped in the face! This week we talk about the falling prices of even the most popular vehicles on the market, but especially EVs and Bronco Raptors.By Avants
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Horsepower Accelerates Your Mistakes and Other PRO3 Lessons with Isaiah Dummer
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We talk to recent PRO3 winner Isaiah Dummer about driving, riding, building, and other fun things that cost too much on this weeks podcast! Isaiah has been racing in PRO3 since Covid times, runs his own construction company, and loves all things with engines, just like us. He's got fun stories and was a great guest.…
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It's Party on the Bottom and Business on the Top with Krissy!
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Krissy Wells joins us back in the studio to talk about the massive amount of Avants events coming up as well as the secret to finding all those elusive Avants Off-Road stickers! We talk about the new Avants Online Store, Classics on the Green, and so much more. Check out the new store at: https://store.avants.com/…
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Racing is hard to do on its own, but after a while you will likely find the hardest part is where it hits your wallet. We welcome Brian Elich back in the studio and he joins us to talk about breaking his Camaro into the 9s and still using it as a road race car.By Avants
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Mount Everything with Help from Nick Lowe-Hale of RAM Mounts
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When it comes to mounting solutions, I don't think anyone has even a tenth of the options that RAM Mounts has. Nick Lowe-Hale is the Automotive Aftermarket Account Manager for RAM mounts, so if anyone can figure out your mounting solution it's him. He joins us to chat all about Ram Mounts, his Land Cruiser, and all the areas we never thought to use…
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Has anyone else noticed it's been dashboards gone wild lately? We like function and form and it seems like more and more vehicles are trying to transplant your living room into your car these days. We talk about the best dashboard designs, the new 4Runner, the $200k Fox Factory Truck, and more on this weeks episode.…
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Buz Ras of Seattle Speedometer Combines Art and Engineering
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Buz Ras is one of those rare craftsman that combines art and engineering by restoring vehicle gauges. Like a clockmaker for gearheads, his specialized and high demand work speaks for itself, but we brought him in to tell his story in his own words. Buz was such a fun guest with great stories well beyond speedos and tachs. He's a guy you'll love to …
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The road trip continues and the diesel gets it's first off-road excursion in Moab, but the AEV equipped GMC just proves it's no match for a Raptor. That obviously won't do for Dan so something will have to give. We talk tools, towing, and what to do when you give up your Raptor and still need one.By Avants
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Justin Osmer is back this week and he’s taking Wagon Fest to the next level! Justin talks about the expansion of Wagon Fest, the best wagons you can buy, and more adventures with his RS6 Avant. If you’re a wagon fan or just like seeing cars you don’t see often enough, then we’ve got good news for you.…
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When You Have to Downgrade to Kinda Upgrade
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After towing the trailer down to Arizona, Dan quickly realizes Raptors aren't the best tow vehicles in spite of being good at basically everything else. We discuss the cons, and more cons, of driving any other truck that isn't a Raptor for better towing capacity. We also talk the most recent news, the Avants events, and the Michelin 15% off deal is…
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Emy Kissick is the Kid All Car People Hope For
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Emy Kissick might only be 16, but she definitely taught us a thing or ten. Emy got her racing license before she got her drivers license, races spec Miata, works on her own car, and drives an 1988 300ZX. Add all that up and she still manages to be a 4.0 GPA student. Needless to say, her parents are proud, and she’s a huge asset to the community. Sp…
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Jessica Johnk Redefines Full Time Employee
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If doing what you love means never having to work, then I'm not quite sure anyone told Jessica Johnk. As a full time Sales Readiness and Communications Strategist for Porsche, she is constantly on the road with the team. She somehow still finds some time to hike epic places, ride motorcycles, and even still race cars. On this episode we talk to her…
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If Jaykee Evangelista Had an Online Store, We'd Be Broke
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You may not know Jaykee Evangelista right away by name, but you probably have seen his work in many places around the automotive world. From designs for Porsche, Hyundai N, Jeff Zwart, Luftgekühlt, and even Top Gear, Jaykee is a busy, busy man! We absolutely love his style and are huge fans of all of his work. Check out his work on Instagram at Gro…
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The PNW Component Himself, Aaron Kerson
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We first met Aaron when we did our episode on the Nurburgring and immediately knew we had to have him back on the show. If you're in the bicycle world you probably know Aaron's company and work, PNW Components. PNW Components makes some of the very best bicycle components on the market today, and hands down the best quality swag we have ever purcha…
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On this shop talk episode we talk all about that crash test video of the Rivian R1T hitting the guardrail, the deteriorating roads, car season coming up, and a painful repair to the R8. Special thanks and shoutout to Chad at Avants Partner: Leather Tech for his great help this week! Check out the video for this episode on our YouTube channel!…
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50 Years Later, Lyn St James is Still Changing Racing
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February 7th was National Girls and Women in Sports Day and we couldn't think of a better way to kick that off than having the amazing Lyn St. James back on the show! Lyn dives really deep and talks to us in depth about learning how to drive open wheel, Indy, and the future of motorsports. This episode is also available on the Avants YouTube channe…
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Everything You Need to Know Before You Go To The Green Hell
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Of all the places you might be the most excited and yet most nervous to go to, it’s your Senior Prom. After that it’s probably driving the Nürburgring. This episode is all about getting prepped and ready to go to The Green Hell and back without going broke. We brought in 3 experts to help you out: Tom Roberts, Aaron Kerson, and Curtis Creager.…
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The Newest Member of the Avants Team, Leif Bergerson
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On this special episode we introduce Leif Bergerson, the newest member of the Avants staff! Leif is helping us run things in California, so we thought it would be best if we introduced him on video. You can still listen in here of course, but if you want to see Leif be sure to check out the Avants YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC…
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Dan has a new Raptor coming in March, so of course the mods have already started in January. In this episode we're chatting about those mods that start before your new vehicle even arrives. As odd as this sounds, we actually think it's worth to have some parts waiting and ready to be installed. What mods are you doing before you get your car? In ad…
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Colleen Sheehan Got to Ride to School in a McLaren F1
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Read that again; Colleen Sheehan got to ride to school in a McLaren F1. No matter how cool you think you are, you didn't get to ride to school in a McLaren F1. So now that we got that out of the way, she's also an absolute authority on everything Ferrari and probably has more seat time on the track than most of us do on the road!…
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Horsepower Is Cheaper Than Ever... If You Can Afford It
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We often thought the glory days of cheap performance cars were behind us, but performance comes in at bargain basement prices today. In this episode we discuss what we think are the real bargains today, and find out we were wrong all along in real time. In 1994 the Mustang Cobra was $22,425 and had a whopping 240 horsepower, did 0-60 in 5.9 second,…
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We welcome back official Avants Magazine Editor-in-Chief Karl Noakes! Karl is on a rare break from IMSA and chats with us about his new M2, the Hagerty not-so-hot list of 2023, and we all compare our old-man back injuries! It's always a good time when Karl is here!By Avants
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Our long, lost Megan returns to us to join us for Shop Talk this week and we talk all about squashing nuts, the new studio, Borla's electric "exhaust", R8 build updates, and our very adult Christmas lists! Also, if anyone is selling a BAC Mono, let Dan know.…
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The Tonkin name is definitely a northwest staple and Brendan Tonkin didn't fall far from the family tree. Brendan talks to us all about the new Ineos Grenadier, track time with dad, overlanding, and more, all while his dog became best friends with Nick while we recorded. Brendan has some big plans for Grenadier owners, so we'll check back with him …
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It’s a Baja Blast of an Episode with James Manning with Rothsport!
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How big of a hammer do you need when you race Baja in a Porsche 911? We seek to answer important questions like these as we chat with James Manning from Rothsport about Baja, Porsches, and…GIN! Not only does James do awesome things like race Baja, but he also is the owner of The Falls Distilling and makes some damn good gin!…
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Heckmann & Thiemann - 55 Years Of Servicing Your Porsche, VW, and Subaru
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With 55 years in the business, Heckmann & Thiemann have seen it all. We get all the good stories from President and CEO Phyllis Thiemann and Master Technician Bryan Reeves. We talk about the stuff classic Porsche people don’t usually like to in this episode like the Cayenne, Boxster, and even RWB, dive into the topic of the air-cooled boom and how …
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