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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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!
1:05:26
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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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51:14
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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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58:37
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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
1:03:28
1:03:28
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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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55:03
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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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52:04
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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
1:04:09
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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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43:17
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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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55:11
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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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1:13:42
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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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Chris Delano: President of IPD and the Authority on Volvo Performance
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We went down to Portland to visit some of our Avants friends and partners to the south! This week we finally got to chat with one of the smartest and nicest people we have interviewed to date, Chris Delano, President of IPD. Chris is as true of an enthusiast as it gets, who has always loved Volvos and upgrading them in every way. If you have a Volv…
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Truly Great Stories with Greg Stanley
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Greg Stanley is a great story teller. He gives us the inside details of the recent, record breaking 250 GTO sale by RM Sotheby's and much more about his own collection.By Avants
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Is There Anything Vinny Russo Hasn’t Done?
1:02:08
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This week we have a great chat with Vinny Russo, Operations Manager at Westside Collector Car Storage and Special Project Manager for The iD Agency. Vinny talks with us all about his history with Spyker, Hennessey, VF Engineering, and more. We had some serious audio issues with Riverside, our online podcasting host. Vinny's audio turned out great, …
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Alfa Romeo Brand Marketing Manager & Comedian Kara Coraci Sellentine
1:13:24
1:13:24
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This week we chat with Kara Coraci Sellentine! Kara keeps the laughs rolling in and talks to us about all things Alfa, Formula 1, working on Jerry Springer, and more!By Avants
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With the arrival of the R8 it's time for us to take on the next supercar build! We'll be starting by working with our friends and sponsor, STEK to cover the whole car and add some tint, then we have a few more creative mods to add. We'll be sure to keep you all updated as we go along. There is new, exciting news from Triumph and Ducati who will be …
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When we say Wade Kawasaki never lifts, we mean that figuratively and literally. From humble beginnings working at a service station as a kid, to racing, and coming up all the way up in the automotive industry to Executive Chairman at The Wheel Group, Wade has truly done it all. Wade and his wife Rose continue to play a pivotal role in keeping the a…
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Dan gets some first hand experience using the surprisingly good "Buy It Now" Autotrader feature and the new E-Ray configurator is live! Does it change your mind on the new Z06? It may have changed ours!By Avants
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Get Ready for Even Higher Car Prices... Again...
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48:46
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As the UAW strike comes to a close and wages go up, you can bet those CEOs aren’t going to take a pay cut, which means the money has to come from somewhere! Hint, it’s you, the consumer. This week we chat about the strike and how it’s going to be passed on to the consumers. Got some thoughts on the strike? Give us a call or text and let us know at …
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In this episode we talk about the the worst places to drop your pants. We have done a lot of driving all over this great planet and we have found some incredible places to go, but every now and then we come across places you probably just shouldn't stop at.By Avants
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Megan has Covid, Dan has a cold, Nick is still getting over his cold, and so of course we spent all of our time being sick browsing Facebook Marketplace for the coolest cars and other good deals. We found a snowcat, a fighter jet ejection seat, R8s, vintage Corvettes, pre-crashed motorcycles, and more!…
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