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MotoManTV Podcast

MotoManTV Podcast

Welcome to the MotoManTV Podcast, the reimagined version of Inside the MotoMan Studio. Join MotoMan for in-depth conversations with the key people shaping the automotive, tech & business worlds. From CEOs and legendary designers to race car drivers, we bring you the human stories behind the cars we love along with a glimpse into the future. Subscribe for new episodes every week.

For more driving adventures, visit the #MotoManTV Cars channel @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars

Or catch our short form content @
https://x.com/MotoManTV
https://www.instagram.com/motomantv

#MotoManTVPodcast

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 13 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • S1 · E30
    August 5 · 37 min

    He Went From Selling Buses to Running Mercedes | MotoMan Podcast # 030

    How does a young engineer from the Greek island of Crete go from selling buses to leading Mercedes-Benz in America? Dimitris Psillakis never mapped out the career that followed. He joined Mercedes-Benz through an international management-trainee program, took responsibility for a small bus division in Greece and then accepted a series of increasingly complex assignments across four continents. Along the way, he oversaw operations across 29 Latin American countries, helped establish a Mercedes-Benz factory in Brazil, encountered customers armoring everything from C-Classes to Smart cars, navigated the cultural and business challenges of South Korea and ultimately arrived in the United States during the height of the pandemic. In this episode, Dimitris shares how curiosity, adaptability, discipline and resilience shaped his rise—and why he believes the best careers are built by focusing on the next decision rather than trying to plan the next 20 years. A production note: This is one of our final vault episodes, recorded before we upgraded to our current camera equipment. The picture quality may look different, but the audio, post-production and storytelling remain the same. What do you think matters most when building a truly global career: ambition, adaptability or resilience? Share your thoughts in the comments. CHAPTERS 00:00 One of Our Final Vault Episodes 01:07 From Crete to a Global Career 02:44 Studying in Britain—and Buying a Renault 5 Turbo 04:33 Military Service and a Multinational Dream 05:40 Joining Mercedes-Benz 07:14 His First Leadership Role: Buses 09:26 The Importance of Discipline and Resilience 10:54 Growing Mercedes-Benz in Greece 11:18 Why Mercedes Sent Him to Brazil 14:05 Managing 29 Countries 15:49 Reinventing Mercedes-Benz in Brazil 17:09 Building a Factory—and Armoring Smart Cars 20:16 The Move From Brazil to South Korea 23:03 His Greatest Cultural Challenge 25:42 Making Korea a Top Mercedes-Benz Market 27:30 The Move to Canada 28:50 Arriving in America During COVID 30:27 The Challenge of Running Mercedes in the US 32:05 What Four Continents Taught Him 33:06 His Best Career Advice 34:15 The Best Places He Lived 35:01 The Future of Mercedes-Benz #MercedesBenz #DimitrisPsillakis #Leadership #AutomotiveIndustry #CareerAdvice #GlobalBusiness #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E29
    July 29 · 29 min

    Can Slate Actually Deliver a $25K Truck?

    Slate is promising a $25,000 electric truck with no traditional trim levels, no sprawling options list and a radically different approach to personalization. But can that idea survive contact with manufacturing, service and the realities of launching a new car company? CJ Waelti joins the MotoMan Podcast to explain why the electric powertrain may be the least interesting part of Slate. Drawing on a career that has taken him from Harley-Davidson to Tesla, Rivian and now Slate, CJ lays out how the company is combining old-school mechanical expression with modern manufacturing. We dig into Slate’s blank-canvas philosophy, the risk that personalization becomes an expensive upsell, its DIY accessory strategy, removable seat covers, swappable body panels, simplified vehicle wraps and the company’s plan to begin delivering trucks in late 2026. More importantly, CJ answers the question hanging over every automotive startup: Why should anyone believe Slate can actually deliver? Chapters 00:00 Why Slate may be different 01:45 CJ Waelti joins the podcast 02:23 From Harley-Davidson to Tesla 04:26 Why CJ believes in Slate 06:31 The EV may be the least interesting part 07:46 No options, no trims 09:09 Can personalization work on a $25K truck? 10:31 Avoiding the upsell trap 11:12 Removable seats and swappable accessories 12:17 Why affordability is the real message 14:36 Bringing DIY back to the automobile 16:42 Can Slate reconnect young people with cars? 18:56 Have automakers gone too far with screens? 20:30 How Slate plans to handle service 21:45 Designing accessories for DIY installation 24:17 How Slate made wrapping a car easier 27:37 Three reasons Slate will deliver in 2026 28:36 What should Slate build next? #SlateAuto #ElectricTruck #ElectricVehicles #EVStartup #AutomotiveIndustry #CarPodcast #MotoManPodcast #MadeInAmerica #Tesla #Rivian For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E28
    July 22 · 1 hr 25 min

    They Called Him Unreliable. Then He Proved Them Wrong | MotoMan Podcast # 028

    Chris Benjamin’s path to the top of automotive design was anything but straightforward. Long before becoming Chief Design Officer at Scout Motors, Benjamin arrived at design school unable to properly draw a car in three dimensions, learned a painful lesson after being labeled “unreliable,” and eventually landed what looked like a dream job at Mercedes-Benz. There was just one problem: he was so deep in debt that he spent his days designing Mercedes and his nights working a full-time shift at Taco Bell—sometimes surviving on barely three hours of sleep. That experience helped shape a career that would span Mercedes-Benz, BMW Designworks, Volvo and Stellantis. Benjamin explains how a last-minute design proposal changed his trajectory at Mercedes, how he helped establish the proportions that would define a new generation of Volvos, and how his luxury-car experience influenced the transformation of Jeep interiors in vehicles like the Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer. Then came an entirely different challenge: bringing Scout back. Recorded before the new Scout vehicles were revealed, this conversation explores what attracted Benjamin to the dormant American nameplate, what made the original Scout different from Jeep and Bronco, and why he believes reviving an icon requires understanding more than its styling cues. CHAPTERS 00:00 Mercedes by day, Taco Bell by night 02:27 How a childhood obsession with cars began 11:16 Discovering design could become a career 15:54 Three weeks from Miami to design school in Detroit 20:33 Learning the unwritten realities of car design 24:08 Being labeled “unreliable” 29:44 Working three jobs just to stay in school 31:01 Starting his career at Mercedes-Benz 35:14 The secret Taco Bell night shift 40:13 The Mercedes boss who changed his life 42:18 Breaking through as a Mercedes designer 47:31 Moving to Volvo—and getting a design into production 49:05 How Volvo changed after Ford 53:22 Joining Chrysler and Stellantis 56:21 Transforming Jeep interiors 58:37 What actually makes an interior feel expensive 59:26 Fighting for better Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer interiors 01:02:47 The renegade culture inside Chrysler 01:10:08 Why he left for Scout Motors 01:11:49 Was the original Scout really first? 01:13:54 The vision for bringing Scout back 01:19:09 What design elements should survive 01:20:50 Why good design isn’t always free #ChrisBenjamin #MercedesBenz #ScoutMotors #Jeep #Volvo #CarDesign #AutomotiveDesign #MotoManTV #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E27
    July 15 · 1 hr

    The Opposite Of A Tesla Is The Next Classic | MotoMan Podcast # 027

    What will car collectors want when today’s roads are filled with electric, autonomous computers on wheels? According to Tommy Mica of TFLcar, the answer may be the exact opposite of a Tesla Model Y. In this very different MotoMan podcast episode, Tommy makes the case for the strange, tactile and overlooked cars hiding in plain sight. They discuss why analog experiences are returning, what actually makes a car collectible and which affordable cars could be tomorrow’s classics—from Land Rover LR3s and Pontiac Fieros to early Aston Martin V8 Vantages, forgotten Cadillacs, 1990s GM performance cars and manual V8 muscle. Before they get there, MotoMan reveals how his nearly new Porsche accumulated an astonishing $46,000 in warranty work—including an $11,000 headlight—and Tommy explains the difference between a car being reliable, fixable or simply defended by a very loyal owner. They also get into subscription fatigue, modern-car complexity, the psychology behind collector values, Tommy’s unusual personal fleet and the lessons that helped TFL grow into one of YouTube’s largest automotive brands. Which overlooked car do you believe will become the next major collectible? CHAPTERS 00:00 The Opposite of a Tesla01:45 Tommy Mica Has a Problem03:28 $46,000 in Porsche Warranty Work05:11 The $11,000 Porsche Headlight07:37 Cars You Should Never Own Past Warranty10:07 Maintenance vs. Reliability13:08 Are Modern Cars Built to Last?16:18 Reliable or Just Easy to Fix?17:16 Tommy’s Unusual Car Collection18:26 The Land Rover That May Become Collectible19:43 Will People Really Stop Buying New Cars?21:17 Tommy’s Aston Martin Insurance Problem22:41 Drag Racing the CEO of Hagerty24:14 What Makes a Car Collectible?28:52 Why Analog Cars Are Coming Back30:44 The Split Between Analog and Digital32:53 People Are Tired of Computers on Wheels34:26 The Next Underappreciated Classics35:34 Cheap Bentleys, Phantoms and V12 Luxury38:13 Should We Buy a Bentley Mulsanne?39:02 Forgotten SUVs and Trucks41:56 Will Pontiac Fiero Values Keep Rising?44:01 The Overlooked Cars of 1990s GM46:49 Why Manual Cars Will Matter48:24 The $33,000 Aston Martin Bargain50:37 The Business Case for Giving Buyers What They Want52:49 Building the Anti-Tesla Collector Car54:02 How Tommy Helped Transform TFL55:48 Tommy’s Rules for Growing on YouTube #TommyMica #TFLcar #MotoManPodcast #ClassicCars #FutureClassics #CollectorCars #AnalogCars #CarCulture #Porsche #Tesla For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E26
    July 8 · 1 hr 3 min

    The Jeff Bezos Startup Doing Less On Purpose | MotoMan Podcast # 026

    Slate Auto has been described as a Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup building a $25,000 electric truck — but that is only part of the story. In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, we sit down with Rod Copes, Slate Auto board director and employee number one, to discuss the real strategy behind Slate: radical simplicity, American manufacturing, affordability, and avoiding the mistakes that crushed so many EV startups. Rod explains what he learned from Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield, and Rivian, including what “production hell” really means and why Slate is deliberately doing less on purpose. The conversation goes deep into the $24,950 price promise, why Slate chose a two-door pickup layout, how the company plans to build in Indiana, and why the future of affordable transportation may depend on bringing manufacturing back to the United States. This is not just a conversation about a cheap EV truck. It is a conversation about whether America can still build things people can actually afford. Chapters: 00:00 Highlight Open01:48 Why Rod Copes Matters To Slate02:44 Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield & Rivian05:08 Rebuild Manufacturing & MIT08:46 Why US Manufacturing Matters11:24 What Changed After The Pandemic12:30 Why Time Beats Cash In Startups14:13 Can Slate Really Launch In 2026?16:44 Simplify, Simplify, Simplify18:03 The Risk Slate Is Taking19:32 The Bezos / Amazon Influence22:06 Slate’s Culture & Decision Making23:10 What Production Hell Really Means27:01 The Rivian Lesson Slate Learned29:37 Avoiding The EV Startup Trap31:08 How Slate Plans To Be Profitable33:19 Ford, Competition & The $25K Promise34:06 Why Car Pricing Feels Deceptive37:35 Making A Cheap Car Desirable39:16 Who Is Slate Really For?42:19 Could Slate Work For Apartment Dwellers?44:28 Why Slate Chose Two Doors47:30 The Battery Supply Challenge50:02 Why Slate Had To Be Electric55:30 Why Indiana?58:29 Could Slate Have Built It Cheaper Overseas?59:34 The US Manufacturing Renaissance01:02:09 What Slate Wants To Know From Viewers #SlateAuto #SlateTruck #RodCopes #MotoManPodcast #JeffBezos #ElectricTruck #EVTruck #AmericanManufacturing #MadeInUSA #Rivian #FordMaverick #AffordableCars #EVStartup #Manufacturing #CarIndustry #ElectricVehicles #MotoManTV For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E25
    July 1 · 53 min

    He Failed Engineering. Then Ran Nissan Design | MotoMan Podcast # 025

    Most car designers are supposed to follow a path. Alfonso Albaisa did not. Before he became the global design leader behind Nissan’s future, he was a Cuban-American kid in Miami who did not learn English until he was six or seven, dressed like Napoleon, drew in a closet, nearly failed engineering with a 0.5 GPA, and found his way through art, architecture, balsa wood boats, New York, Detroit, and one unforgettable Jaguar E-Type. In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, Alfonso Albaisa joins MotoMan for a deeply personal conversation about the unlikely road that took him from South Florida to the top of Nissan design. This is not just a story about cars. It is a story about exile, family, failure, obsession, creative purpose, and why the car industry keeps falling into the trap of copying whatever looks cool. Alfonso shares how his father’s architecture studio shaped the way he saw the world, why his mother quietly redirected his life, how a Jaguar E-Type changed everything, why Detroit nearly broke him and how Nissan found him in New York This is the story of an outsider who did not fit the system — and then helped shape one of the most important Japanese car brands in the world. CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Outsider Who Ended Up Running Nissan Design01:49 Two Years In The Making02:39 From Immigrant Kid In Miami To Global Design Leader03:15 Leaving Cuba And Starting Over05:23 Architecture, Train Stations And Transportation In The Family07:50 The Real Forrest Gump Story08:34 Landing In Miami With Nothing09:19 Drawing In The Closet And Dressing Like Napoleon11:35 The Mother Who Saw Everything12:43 Where Cars Finally Enter The Story14:12 The Jaguar E-Type Moment16:03 Richard Nixon’s House And His Father’s American Story18:28 Learning Design By Sitting Next To His Father20:25 Isamu Noguchi, Architecture And Fresh Concrete22:48 Why Architecture Still Connects Him To His Father23:36 Bad Grades, University Of Florida And A 0.5 GPA24:41 Ceramics, Figure Drawing And Finding His Purpose26:07 Pratt, New York And The Road To Detroit27:44 The Renault Le Car Interruption28:28 Why Detroit Was The Wrong Room29:48 Leaving Transportation Design Behind30:50 How Nissan Found Him31:54 Drawing Cars Like Human Figures33:02 New York, Clubs And Creative Obsession34:06 Detroit Work Ethic And Finding The Gear35:16 Why He Did Not Want To Leave New York36:55 Moving To California And Nissan’s San Diego Studio38:21 The “Country Club” Design Studio39:14 The Yacht That Paid For The Volleyball Court41:16 Why Nissan Designers Took Outside Work42:45 Why Nissan Must Not Copy Everyone Else43:12 The Danger Of “Cool Hunters”44:45 Inspiration Versus Business45:04 Starting At Nissan46:43 Gemba, Japanese Culture And Collective Design48:01 Becoming Head Of Nissan Design49:46 Studying Japanese Art And Design50:12 The Meaning Of “Ma”51:07 The Nissan Logo And The Power Of Sincerity52:25 Why This Conversation Needs A Part Two #MotoManPodcast #AlfonsoAlbaisa #Nissan #CarDesign #AutomotiveDesign #NissanDesign #Infiniti #JapaneseDesign #DesignStory #MotoManTV For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E24
    June 24 · 49 min

    Why Designing Motorcycles Is Harder Than Cars | MotoMan Podcast # 024

    Greg Tada left software development to chase something far more personal: motorcycles. In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, Greg joins MotoMan at ArtCenter to tell the story of how he went from working in tech to designing motorcycles for some of the most important brands in the industry, including Kawasaki, Indian Motorcycle, Piaggio, Aprilia, and Moto Guzzi. This conversation covers the moment motorcycles took over Greg’s life, why motorcycle design is different from car design, what it took to help relaunch Indian Motorcycle, why brand heritage matters, and why some mechanical details should never be cut — even when the accountants would love to remove them. They also get into ArtCenter, the brutal hours behind creative work, designing across cultures, why bike studios can feel like startups, and what it means to be a true guardian of a brand. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Greg Tada: Guardian of the Brand 01:05 - Countach, Tank Engines, and a Very Different Podcast Set 02:21 - The Motorcycle Designer Who’s Been Everywhere 03:01 - Do You Have to Ride to Design a Great Bike? 04:00 - The Kid Who Wasn’t Supposed to Ride 05:00 - Software Paid the Bills, But It Wasn’t the Dream 06:03 - Parents, Pressure, and the Path He Had to Find 08:48 - The Mini Bike Moment That Changed Everything 10:08 - Quitting Software and Chasing Design in Detroit 12:31 - Why Bike Studios Feel Like Beautiful Chaos 14:12 - ArtCenter Outcasts and Learning to Draw Loose 16:00 - Detroit Wasn’t It, So ArtCenter Became the Move 17:23 - When Car Designers Cross Over to Bikes 19:13 - Bringing Indian Back Without Making It Fake 22:04 - 23 Months to Bring a Legend Back to the Road 25:09 - Why the Boring Projects Might Be the Hardest 27:01 - Kawasaki, Japan, and the Mohawk “Design Decision” 30:35 - The Brutal Hours Behind Creative Work 33:03 - Great Ideas Are Easy; Production Is the Fight 36:14 - 911s, Sport Bikes, Aero, and the Rules Closing In 39:18 - Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, and the Soul You Can’t Cut Out 43:18 - Roommates, Parents, Mentors, and the Price of Getting There 47:09 - Why Designers Can’t Stop Learning 49:05 - The Guest Who Changed How MotoMan Sees Motorcycle Design #MotoManPodcast #GregTada #MotorcycleDesign #MotoGuzzi #IndianMotorcycle #ArtCenter #Aprilla #Piaggio For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E23
    June 17 · 57 min

    Why AMG Bought This Secret EV Tech | MotoMan Podcast # 023

    What happens when a university engineering project completely upends the power dynamics of the world's most elite supercar manufacturers? In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, we meet Dr. Tim Woolmer, the CTO and Founder of YASA Motors. Long before the automotive establishment fully embraced electrification, Woolmer engineered a radical departure from traditional propulsion: the axial flux "pancake" motor. By rewriting the core physics of electric motor topology, YASA managed to strip away 80% of necessary iron, delivering an astonishing three-to-one power-to-weight advantage over industry-standard radial machines. It is the exact breakthrough technology quietly weaponized inside the apex hyper-hybrids of Koenigsegg, Ferrari and Lamborghini—and it is now stepping directly into mainline production as the core architecture of the upcoming 2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door. Filmed on-site at YASA’s Oxford headquarters, this episode is a technical & narrative deep-dive into the realities of automotive disruption. We trace the journey from a crude 2006 PhD prototype to navigating tight venture funding rounds, partnering with Jaguar on the legendary C-X75 concept, and eventually executing a full corporate acquisition by Mercedes-Benz. Chapters 00:00:00 - The Future of Italian Exotics Started in Oxford 00:01:26 - A Quick Note on the Vault Episode 00:02:11 - The Pancake Motor That Stopped the Room 00:03:04 - Why YASA Had to Exist 00:03:48 - Radial Motors, Axial Motors, and the Big Difference 00:04:37 - The Tiny Stator With 250 Horsepower 00:05:38 - How a Smaller Motor Makes Way More Power 00:08:58 - Motor Number One: The Oxford PhD Prototype 00:10:04 - Building an EV Startup Before EVs Were Obvious 00:12:03 - The Jaguar C-X75 Moment That Proved It Could Work 00:13:16 - The Hard, Messy Reality of a University Startup 00:15:30 - From ‘I’ to ‘We’: Growing the YASA Team 00:16:17 - The Car Guy Who Was Really an Electric-Car Guy 00:19:04 - Batteries, Motors, Roads, and the Path He Chose 00:21:01 - Morgan, Hydrogen, and the Project That Forced Real Progress 00:23:59 - The Material Constraint That Sparked the Breakthrough 00:26:53 - The Grid Problem Nobody Can Ignore 00:29:28 - Help Grow the Motoman Podcast 00:30:13 - Yes, These Motors Are in Ferraris 00:32:25 - So Where Does Mercedes Fit In? 00:34:30 - Mercedes Didn’t Just Buy Today’s Motor 00:35:13 - Two Generations Ahead and Still Moving Fast 00:36:22 - Inside the Oxford Factory Making the Future 00:39:20 - Ferrari, Mercedes, and the Non-Compete Dance 00:40:47 - Why New Car Tech Has to Enter at the Top 00:43:32 - Aerospace, Patents, and the Moat Around YASA 00:46:10 - Patents Matter, but Speed Matters More 00:47:40 - The Next EV Leap: Moving the Motors 00:49:42 - Why EVs Need to Get More Interesting 00:52:43 - Could This Reach Everyday Mercedes Models? 00:53:59 - DNA, Team, Luck, and the Formula Behind YASA #YASAMotors #MercedesAMG #Ferrari #AxialFlux #EVTech #AutomotiveEngineering #Koenigsegg #Lamborghini #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E22
    June 10 · 1 hr 1 min

    How A Homeless Kid Cracked The Game • Read Choi | MotoMan Podcast # 022

    What happens when you apply the brutal discipline of elite military training and the high-stakes pressure of a two-Michelin-star kitchen to the wild west of the modern digital algorithm? In a total departure from our usual deep dives with the key people shaping the car, tech, racing or business worlds, this episode MotoMan sits down with digital creator Read Choi for a raw, unscripted peer-to-peer conversation. Far removed from horse-power metrics, standard car reviews, or corporate strategy, this discussion pulls back the curtain on the actual human cost of modern media execution, the reality of creative burnout, and the shared foundation of faith and friendship that keeps two creators grounded in a hyper-paced digital world. Read details his staggering trajectory—navigating homelessness at age 17 to thriving within UC Berkeley’s honors program and Navy training—before quietly rewriting the playbook on audience attention metrics and short-form video architecture. This is an look inside the engine room of modern digital media, engineered for those who study execution and personal sovereignty. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro to Read Choi and Turning Chaos Into a Playbook 00:01:17 - Why Read Is Here: Shorts, Friendship, and No Car Talk 00:02:40 - The Cigar Lounge Meeting That Started Everything 00:06:43 - Cigars, Faith, and Real Conversations 00:09:20 - Dream Meetings, Planning Meetings, and Life Structure 00:13:16 - Read Choi’s Story: Upbringing, Survival, and Urgency 00:17:44 - Community College, UC Berkeley, and Building Work Ethic 00:20:16 - Michelin-Star Kitchens and the Advantage of Hard Work 00:22:50 - Military, Brotherhood, and Finding Purpose 00:26:46 - Leaving the Military and Finding TikTok During Covid 00:29:20 - Modeling, Cooking, and Learning Skills Under Pressure 00:30:14 - Delta Wings, Pilot Cards, and Friendship Tangents 00:33:15 - How to Support the Show 00:34:06 - TikTok, Forrest Jones, and Seeing the Code Early 00:35:59 - Studying Viral Content and Posting Five Times a Day 00:37:24 - The Creator’s Dilemma and the Myth of Work-Life Balance 00:39:38 - Control, Freedom, and the Screw-You Mentality 00:42:20 - Boundaries, Clarity, and What It Means to Stay 00:45:39 - The Photo Coronation and Showing Up for Friends 00:50:49 - Short-Form Strategy and the Business of Content 00:53:34 - Acting, Networking, and What Comes Next 00:55:32 - Read’s Three Keys to Success 00:59:20 - Easter Sunday, Cigars, and the Friendship That Defines Them #MotoManPodcast #ReadChoi #ContentStrategy #CreatorEconomy #Mindset #SOP #Faith #HangarChat #ShortFormVideo #PersonalSovereignty For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E21
    June 3 · 1 hr 30 min

    The Ex-Tesla Executive Building the EV Porsche Refuses to Make | MotoMan Podcast # 021

    What happens when you take the collective genius behind Tesla, Lucid, and BYD, and use it to build an EV that completely rejects Silicon Valley tech bloat? In this episode of The MotoMan Podcast, we sit down with Mark Tapscott, co-founder of the radical new British automotive startup, Longbow. Mark shares his incredible journey through the EV revolution—from early days spent as Elon Musk's chauffeur and launching the Model S in the UK, to building out Lucid Europe from scratch and setting up operations for BYD in the Middle East. Now, he’s putting all that insider knowledge into a vehicle that completely defies industry trends. Longbow’s debut vehicle is a raw, lightweight, 1,000-pound speedster with no roof, no screens, and a strict promise that the brand will never build an SUV. Episode Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro to Longbow and the Driver-First EV Mission 00:01:07 - What Longbow Means 00:02:32 - The Speedster: No Screen, No Roof, and Only 150 Cars 00:03:19 - Meet the Founders and the Startup Behind Longbow 00:05:11 - From Design Engineering to the Philips Lesson 00:08:51 - Leaving Lighting Design and Finding Cars Again 00:10:10 - Brands Hatch, Lotus Elise, and Learning Race Cars 00:13:28 - Race Components, Free Labor, and Starting a Team 00:16:03 - The Tesla Roadster Moment That Changed Everything 00:20:45 - Cars & Coffee, First Impressions, and the Longbow Prototype 00:23:50 - Designing the Coupe and Building Longbow Differently 00:26:01 - Launching Tesla Model S in the UK 00:28:19 - Elon, Early Tesla, and the Motorcycle Question 00:30:15 - Model 3, UK EV Incentives, and Leaving Tesla 00:33:15 - Wallbox, Hyundai, and the Pull of Early-Stage Startups 00:39:16 - Building Lucid Europe From Zero 00:45:45 - Lucid, Saudi Arabia, and Smart Money in the Middle East 00:47:50 - Tesla, BYD, and the Chinese EV Challenge 00:52:34 - Why Modern Cars Are Built Around Features Nobody Asked For 00:55:18 - Why Longbow Had to Exist 00:58:06 - Funding Longbow and Proving the First Lightweight Prototype 00:59:42 - The Step-by-Step Plan for Building a Car Company 01:00:53 - Longbow's Platform Strategy and the No-SUV Promise 01:03:04 - Going After Porsche, Corvette, and the Practical Sports Car 01:05:17 - Why Legacy Brands Struggle With Electric Sports Cars 01:06:58 - Listening to Customers and Keeping the Car Simple 01:09:25 - Chassis, Dynamics, and the Road-Car Philosophy 01:12:18 - The Spreadsheet Behind Longbow's Business Case 01:14:33 - Hand-Built in the UK and Assembling the Best Components 01:17:21 - Motors, Batteries, and the Lightweight EV Technology Stack 01:21:02 - The Decentralized Team and Working With the UK Government 01:23:40 - The Three Forces Behind Mark's Success 01:26:03 - Tesla Lessons, Fast Decisions, and Trust 01:28:07 - Neurodiversity, Co-Founders, and Driving Into the Smoke 01:29:07 - Final Thoughts and the Canyon Drive Challenge #MotoManTV #MotoManTVPodcast #MotoMan #Longbow #LongbowSpeedster #ElectricSportsCar #DriverFocused #Tesla #LucidMotors #BYD #ElonMusk #SiliconValley #EVRevolution #CarPodcast #SportsCars #PureDriving #TeslaRoadster For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E20
    May 27 · 1 hr 14 min

    They Wanted to Cancel the Tundra. This Man Stopped Them.

    In this exclusive vault episode of the MotoMan Podcast, MotoMan goes behind the scenes at Toyota’s North American R&D center with legendary former Chief Engineer Mike Sweers. Before his recent retirement, Sweers was the driving force responsible for the engineering DNA of Toyota’s entire body-on-frame lineup. But it almost didn’t happen. In this career-spanning deep dive, Sweers uncovers the hidden corporate battles required to keep the Tundra and Sequoia alive when leadership in Japan was ready to pull the plug. From his gritty beginnings on a Michigan farm to surviving the collapsing "graveyard" era of 1980s Detroit manufacturing at GM and Chrysler, Sweers shares raw, unvetted lessons on leadership, cost-cutting, and institutional friction. He also issues a sharp warning about the modern automotive industry: the traditional 15-year pace of change has completely collapsed into chaos, and rushing unvetted technology to customers is a dangerous game. If you want to understand how modern trucks are actually built, how multi-billion-dollar platform strategies are executed, and why Toyota engineers take every single part personally, this is a masterclass you cannot afford to miss. Chapters: 00:00:00 - The Guy Behind Toyota's Truck Decisions 00:01:11 - Why This Old Episode Still Matters 00:02:46 - Farm Kid, Truck Guy, Japanese Pickup Legend 00:04:29 - The Award That Turned Problem-Solving Into a Career 00:07:17 - Picking the School That Could Get Him the Job 00:09:21 - AMC Obsession and a Fake Detroit Cop Matador 00:13:02 - Oldsmobile, 92 Cars an Hour, and the Factory Floor 00:17:13 - The Worst Job That Taught the Best Lesson 00:20:43 - When GM Swung the Pendulum Too Far 00:24:48 - Quad Fours, Chassis Work, and a Messy GM Exit 00:28:06 - How Boring Seats Became His Best Engineering Class 00:31:46 - Chrysler Chaos, Big Egos, and AMC's Secret Weapon 00:35:56 - Iacocca, Cigars, and the Imperial That Never Happened 00:40:03 - Trying to Build Sports Cars Out of K-Cars 00:42:57 - The Toyota Phone Call That Changed Everything 00:46:46 - Toyota R&D Before It Had Structure 00:50:04 - The Camry-to-Tacoma Path Begins 00:51:15 - Why American Trucks Had to Be Designed in America 00:52:54 - The Mud Test That Created an Off Switch 00:54:47 - Go Where Truck People Actually Use the Truc 00:55:52 - How Complaining About Tundra Became His Job 00:58:29 - The Business Case That Saved Tundra and Sequoia 01:02:57 - The Chess Move: Three Platforms Into One 01:04:10 - Why Toyota Engineers Take Every Part Personally 01:07:52 - Teams, Longevity, and Always Learning 01:10:59 - Technology Is Moving Faster Than Customers Can Pay For 01:12:27 - Marty McFly's Tacoma and the Perfect Ending #ToyotaTundra #ChiefEngineer #TruckEngineering #AutomotiveHistory #ToyotaTacoma #DetroitMuscle #CarDesign #ToyotaSequoia #InsideTheIndustry #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E19
    May 20 · 1 hr 33 min

    The Man Who Decides What Cars Are Worth | MotoMan Podcast #019

    What does it take to become the ultimate authority on classic car values? In this special vault episode, MotoMan sits down with Dave Kinney—the founder and the publisher of the Hagerty Price Guide. From a fateful, unfiltered conversation at a New York City Shake Shack in 2006 that completely altered MotoMan's career path, to Dave’s own wild journey of turning a 2.3 GPA and severe dyslexia into a prolific writing career for The New York Times, Octane, and Automobile magazine, this episode goes far beyond simple market numbers. Whether you want to understand market arbitrage, the real difference between fair market value and forced liquidation value, or simply need bulletproof advice on how to navigate the business world without being an a$$hole, Dave Kinney delivers decades of raw, unfiltered automotive & life wisdom. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro to Dave Kinney and the Man Who Writes the Book on Classic Car Values 00:01:04 - Vault Episode Context and the 15-Year Conversation 00:01:49 - The Shake Shack Conversation That Changed MotoMan’s Path 00:04:36 - Growing Up in Arlington and Learning to Listen 00:06:17 - Codebreaker Father, Lincoln Memories, and Winning the Parent Lottery 00:08:24 - The Car Wash Lesson Dave Never Forgot 00:10:16 - His Mother’s Lessons and a Teenage Cross-Country Van Trip 00:15:48 - Becoming a Car Kid Through Magazines, Models, and Family Cars 00:18:30 - What Dave Learned from His Father’s Entrepreneurial Side 00:20:41 - Working Around Exotic Cars at 16 00:23:35 - Five Plymouth Valiants and Dave’s First Car-Flipping Lesson 00:25:11 - Avantis, Early Profits, and Finding Value in Weird Cars 00:29:14 - Taking Trains to New York with Cash to Buy Cars 00:33:31 - College, Unusual Cars, and Early Market Instincts 00:41:59 - Coming Home, Real Estate Lessons, and the Parking Lot Business 00:45:56 - Contemporary Classic Automobiles and the $25,000 Move-Out Deal 00:50:46 - Why Dave Needed to Get Back Into the Car World 00:53:39 - How One Appraisal Question Turned Into a Career 00:56:09 - Keith Martin, Auction Seminars, and the Start of Automotive Journalism 01:01:12 - Auction Writing, Humor, and Making Car Stories Stick 01:03:54 - Writing for The New York Times, Octane, and Automobile 01:05:35 - Dave Kinney’s Three Rules for Writers 01:07:20 - How Cars That Matter Became the Hagerty Price Guide 01:10:29 - Monterey, Jay Leno, Michael Hagerty, and the Right Timing 01:13:23 - Building the Guide, Taking the Risk, and Stella’s Support 01:17:03 - What Hagerty Added: Data, Scale, and a Bigger Team 01:19:06 - What Dave Brought: Dealer Instincts and Real Market Conversations 01:21:20 - Fair Market Value, Liquidation Value, and Why Every Car Has Many Prices 01:23:51 - Bloomberg Terminals, Finance Companies, and the Future of Hagerty Data 01:26:42 - Why Price Guides Are a Tool, Not a Crutch 01:27:16 - Buying Too Early, Top-Quality Cars, and the Truth About Value 01:29:22 - Dave Kinney’s Three Keys to Success and Final Thanks #DaveKinney #HagertyPriceGuide #ClassicCarValues #MotoManPodcast #CarCollecting #AutomotiveJournalism #MarketArbitrage For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E18
    May 13 · 1 hr 24 min

    Hacking Mercedes: From DIY Car Internet to CEO of R&D | MotoMan Podcast #018

    In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Philipp Skogstad, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, to discuss the radical shift in how the world’s oldest car company builds for the future. While Philipp’s background includes a rebellious streak—hacking a serial port into his father’s car in the 90s to get internet on the road —his primary focus today is bridging the gap between German craftsmanship and the Silicon Valley mandate to "spend money, not time". We dive deep into the internal processes and technological philosophies driving Mercedes-Benz today: The Software Revolution: How Mercedes built a 100-person backend team in Seattle from the ground up to handle the shift toward software-defined vehicles. Democratization of Technology: Why the decision was made to debut advanced tech lower end cars first, targeting a younger, tech-savvy audience rather than the traditional top down rollout. The "Knobs vs. Screens" Debate: Philipp addresses the tension between haptic feedback and physical controls, defending a "safety-first" DNA while pushing for holistic digital design. This conversation is a technical masterclass on how Mercedes-Benz is balancing its legacy of safety and craftsmanship with the aggressive execution required to compete in the modern era. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro with Philipp 00:00:22 The Vault Episode: Mercedes R&D 00:01:57 Munich Roots and the S-Class 00:03:46 Hacking the 90s Car Internet 00:08:56 From Germany to Saint Louis 00:11:30 Engineering and Business Strategy 00:15:13 Career Advice: Core Business Focus 00:16:12 The Stanford vs. MIT Dilemma 00:19:03 The Art of Showing Up Serious 00:21:24 Protecting Creative Confidence 00:24:26 Lane Keeping and Design Thinking 00:28:25 Silicon Valley: Spend Money, Not Time 00:31:08 PhD and Total Cost of Ownership 00:35:40 Complexity vs. Engineering Progress 00:40:50 Why Driver Assistance Matters 00:42:16 Predicting Future Ownership Costs 00:46:11 Leaving Cars for SAP Software 00:49:05 GitHub and Modernizing Workflow 00:52:03 Cutting Release Cycles to 90 Days 00:54:10 Tesla Speed vs. Traditional Safety 00:55:47 The Cult of Apple and Tesla 00:58:31 The LinkedIn Message to Mercedes 01:00:58 Building the Seattle Backend Team 01:02:15 MBUX and the A-Class Strategy 01:07:12 The Button Debate and Safety DNA 01:08:14 Training for Level 3 Autonomy 01:13:29 How the US Studio Impacts Stuttgart 01:15:13 The Quest for Constant Learning 01:18:11 Saint Louis and Family History 01:19:32 Philipp’s Rules for Success #MercedesBenz #AutomotiveEngineering #SiliconValley #Innovation #MBUX #SelfDriving #SoftwareStrategy #MotoManTV #FutureOfCars For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E17
    May 6 · 1 hr 15 min

    How "Walmart Top Gear" Built a Media Empire | MotoMan Podcast #017

    How do you build a global automotive media brand from a "B-Tier" city with no budget and zero industry connections? You get scrappy. Today on the MotoMan Podcast, we sit down with Jakub Wrobel, the visionary behind the "Walmart Top Gear" production style that helped The Straight Pipes leapfrog the automotive establishment. Jakub pulls back the curtain on the "psychopathic" decision to quit his stable job with only a limited buffer and a car he couldn’t actually afford. We explore the "abusive relationship" with a 1980 C3 Corvette that made him hate the brand for 20 years, and why—at the height of his success—he is now choosing to prioritize "substance" and family. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro to Jakub Wrobel and The Straight Pipes Blueprint 00:01:07 - Pahrump, Corvettes, and the Grand Sport Reveal 00:02:55 - How a Polish-Canadian Kid Became a Car Guy 00:06:52 - Meeting Yuri and the Friendship Behind The Straight Pipes 00:08:18 - Environmental Work, Film Industry, and the Camera Background 00:11:22 - Why The Straight Pipes Brought Cinematic Quality to YouTube 00:12:24 - Starting as an Exhaust Sound Channel in 2012 00:13:45 - The First Dealer Loaner and Turning Exhaust Clips Into Reviews 00:18:16 - Fatherhood, Family Influence, and Lessons from His Dad 00:19:50 - The Florida Road Trip and Raising a Kid Without Screens 00:25:29 - The Kia Stinger, Canadian Creators, and Early Press Trips 00:29:15 - Scrappiness, Timing, and Breaking Through From Canada 00:31:36 - Steady Growth, Schedules, and the Reality of Filming in Winter 00:34:51 - How Kids Changed the Business and Why They Hired an Editor 00:38:08 - His Wife, the Corvette Connection, and Changing His Mind on Corvettes 00:42:06 - Perfectly Imperfect Cars, C7 Corvettes, and the Elantra N 00:44:46 - Jakub’s Car History: IS F, GS 430, Raptor, and More 00:50:24 - Quitting the Day Job and Betting on YouTube 00:52:07 - Challenge Cars, the Fox Body Mustang, and Yuri’s Weird-Car Taste 00:56:43 - The C6 Z06, AMG Wagons, and Becoming a Corvette Guy 00:59:44 - The C5 Drift Car and Why Drifting Became the Answer 01:01:24 - Sponsorships, Business Instincts, and Protecting the Brand 01:04:44 - Watches, Fatherhood, and Building a Better Life for His Son 01:07:05 - The 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, Grand Sport X, and the Manual Debate 01:12:31 - Jakub’s Keys to Success and Final Thoughts #MotoManPodcast #TheStraightPipes #JakubWrobel #Corvette #ZR1X #GrandSport #Drifting #CarReviews #MMTV #Entrepreneurship #WalmartTopGear #AutomotiveJournalism #YuriTereshyn #MotoManTV For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E10
    April 29 · 1 hr 19 min

    I Was 24, Broke, and 50k in Debt: How I Became a Corvette Legend | MotoMan Podcast #016

    What does it actually take to become a racing legend? For Ron Fellows, it wasn’t a silver spoon—it was a shovel. In this episode, the Corvette icon pulls back the curtain on the brutal financial reality of his early career. From spending nearly a decade digging trenches for a natural gas company to fund his passion , to the "red flag" moment of financing a race car through a local bank , Ron shares the incredible story of how he managed to climb out of $50,000 in debt to become one of the most successful drivers in GM & Corvette history. Chapters: 00:00 – Built Not Bought 01:18 – The Branding Guy 02:12 – Growing up in the Shadow of Motown 03:43 – The Epiphany Moment at Mosport 05:06 – Saving for a Go-Kart 08:11 – Financial Reality and the Backup Plan 11:26 – Digging Trenches to Fund the Dream 14:15 – The $50,000 Debt Trap 18:49 – From the Gas Company to Racing Instructor 22:43 – Meeting His Match and Finding Sponsors 27:21 – Is Racing Harder to Break Into Than the NBA? 36:11 – The Job Interview on the Podium 41:54 – The Organized Partner 51:50 – Taking Corvette to Le Mans 01:01:05 – Racing with Royalty: The Earnhardts & Corvette Racing 01:07:00 – Developing the C6 Z06 01:11:44 – The Spring Mountain Legacy 01:17:08 – People, Passion, and Success #RonFellows #CorvetteRacing #MotoManTV #Motorsport #DaleEarnhardt #LeMans24 #Corvette #RacingLife #Daytona24 #Chevrolet #CarPodcast #NASCAR #DrivingSchool #TrackDay Special thanks to @BrianMakse for making this episode possible. For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

  • S1 · E15
    April 21 · 2 hr 36 min

    Inside Tesla Before the World Caught On | MotoMan Podcast #015

    For over 30 years, Simon Sproule has been inside the rooms where the biggest decisions in the car industry get made. From working alongside Elon Musk at Tesla… To witnessing the rise and fall of Carlos Ghosn… This is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how the modern car industry actually works. We go deep into Tesla’s early momentum, what made it different, and why the rest of the industry is still trying to catch up. Along the way, we unpack Ford’s luxury ambitions, Nissan’s comeback, Aston Martin’s brand power, and the decisions that separate the brands that survive from the ones that don’t. This isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a 2.5-hour deep dive into the wins, the mistakes, and the moments that changed everything. CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 – Intro to Simon Sproule and the Career Behind the Scenes 00:01:19 – Car magazines, dealerships, and the road into Ford 00:04:55 – From internal comms to launching an icon 00:06:28 – Detroit, Jaguar, and the Premier Automotive Group years 00:10:04 – Lincoln, Luxury SUVs, and What Ford Was Chasing 00:13:41 – Why Luxury Brands Need Patience, Budget, and Great Designers 00:18:18 – Why Ford’s Luxury Dream Started to Crack 00:23:13 – Jaguar, Aston Martin, and James Bond 00:30:19 – Looking Back at PAG, Land Rover, and the Brands That Made It 00:37:37 – The Real Story Behind the Jaguar X-Type 00:50:54 – Going to the Nissan Renault Alliance 00:53:50 – Nissan’s Comeback, the 350Z, and Infiniti’s Big Moment 00:57:38 – Badge engineering, missed chances, and the Europe problem 01:03:39 – Carlos Ghosn, the GT-R, and the Power of Halo Cars 01:10:15 – Simon Sproule on Ghosn’s Rise, Fall, and the Alliance 01:16:37 – The Move to Tesla 01:20:35 – Launching Tesla in China and Why Elon Was Different 01:29:34 – What Simon Sproule Learned from Elon Musk and Tesla 01:39:38 – Why the Car Industry Still Follows Tesla’s Playbook 01:50:18 – Aston Martin, Mythology, and Selling Pure Emotion 01:56:46 – Does Aston Martin Need a Bigger Owner? 02:07:02 – Mythology, Brand Power, and Why People Buy with Emotion 02:09:52 – Residuals, Oversupply, and the Ugly Truth About Luxury Cars 02:18:51 – Leaving Aston, Stellantis, and Big-Group Politics 02:28:38 – Simon Sproule’s 3 Keys to Success and Final Thoughts #Tesla #ElonMusk #CarIndustry #Automotive #Podcast #CarlosGhosn #EV #Nissan #Ford #AstonMartin #LuxuryCars #Business #motomanpodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv https://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts https://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips https://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts https://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Proudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras

  • S1 · E14
    March 25 · 1 hr 35 min

    From Doomscrolling TikTok to 11.8 Million Followers: Forrest Jones | MotoMan Podcast #014

    What happens when a hobby born out of "doomscrolling" turns into a global audience of 11.8 million people? In this episode, we sit down with Forrest Jones, the pioneer of the vertical car review format who fundamentally changed how we consume automotive media. Forrest opens up about the high-stakes journey of building a massive digital empire, from the "leap of faith" moving to California during the pandemic to the viral Honda Odyssey clip that changed everything. We explore the tension of maintaining a "real" voice while managing a massive business, including why he walked away from the security of paid reviews and how a devastating gear crash nearly ended it all. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro with Forrest Jones 00:01:42 - How the Vertical Car Review Actually Started 00:03:23 - Forrest Jones on Moving from Texas to California During COVID 00:07:32 - Doomscrolling TikTok and Posting the First Car Video 00:09:13 - The Honda Odyssey Clip That Changed Everything 00:11:46 - How Forrest Jones Got Obsessed with Cars 00:14:28 - The Mazda CX-5 Videos That Opened New Doors 00:18:19 - Why He Stopped Doing Paid Reviews 00:19:44 - The Crash That Wiped Out All His Camera Gear00:22:25 - From Pandemic Chaos to 1 Million Followers 00:23:57 - Forrest Jones on Faith, Favor, and Staying Grounded 00:30:51 - What Makes Long-Form Car Content Actually Work 00:36:21 - Why Authenticity Still Wins in Short-Form 00:38:42 - Using AI Without Letting It Replace Your Voice 00:40:30 - How Forrest Jones Builds a 60-Second Review 00:47:09 - Audience Retention, Storytelling, and Finding Your Style 00:51:52 - TikTok vs Instagram vs YouTube: What Really Changes 00:56:02 - Managers, Sponsorships, and the Business Behind the Content 00:57:52 - Marriage, Humility, and Keeping Life in Perspective 01:02:29 - Why Forrest Jones Bought a VW ID. Buzz 01:11:00 - Dream Dad Cars, Corvettes, and the Case for Manuals 01:16:19 - Handling Success, Brand Deals, and Long-Term Income 01:20:36 - Reinvention, Missed Opportunities, and What’s Next 01:25:21 - Forrest Jones on the 3 Keys to His Success 01:33:59 - Final Thoughts on Content, Cars, and the Long Game #ForrestJones #CarContent #AutomotiveMedia #CreatorEconomy #VerticalVideo #CarReviewer #SocialMediaGrowth #AuthenticContent #CarCommunity For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Proudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras

  • S1 · E13
    March 18 · 1 hr

    The Business of Fun: How Vaughn Gittin Jr. Built the RTR Empire | MotoMan Podcast #013

    Most people see the smoke and the sideways Mustangs, but they don't see the payroll, the sleepless nights, or the massive career gamble that started it all. In this episode, Vaughn Gittin Jr. pulls back the curtain on the 20-year journey from a stable 9-to-5 to becoming the CEO of RTR Vehicles. We discuss why he chose to move his entire life to the "Silicon Valley" of racing to stay ahead of the curve and how fatherhood forced a shift toward quality over quantity in his professional life. Episode Chapters: 00:00:00 Vaughn Gittin Jr. and the Drifting Empire 00:01:25 ‘Vault’ episode disclaimer 00:02:11 Quitting a Stable Job to Pursue Racing Dreams 00:04:08 The Jump from Driver to Independent Team Owner 00:05:40 Responsibility for Payroll and Team Well-being 00:07:22 Strategic Move to Charlotte (The "Silicon Valley" of Racing) 00:09:50 Work Culture and Talent Management at RTR 00:12:15 The Impact of Fatherhood on Professional Career 00:14:50 Finding Balance: Less Time, Better Quality 00:16:14 Transitioning to Off-Road Racing and King of the Hammers 00:21:10 The "Fun-Having" Philosophy as a Brand Pillar 00:25:35 Technological Evolution in Drifting and Engineering 00:30:15 Relationship with Ford and Production Vehicle Development 00:35:40 Technical Challenges: Adapting to Different Surfaces and Terrains 00:40:22 Business Strategy: Selling a Lifestyle, Not Just Cars 00:45:10 The Future of RTR Vehicles and Next Steps 00:49:45 Mentorship and Supporting the Next Generation of Drivers 00:55:15 Lessons Learned in 20 Years of Business Career 00:58:15 Final Thoughts on Success and Gratitude #VaughnGittinJr #RTRVehicles #Drifting #FordMustang #Entrepreneurship #Motorsports #KingOfTheHammers #BusinessStrategy #FunHaver #FormulaDrift For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCarsClips

  • S1 · E12
    February 25 · 1 hr 35 min

    The Man Behind the Chiron & Huracán Built His Own Car Company • Sasha Selipanov | MotoMan Podcast #012

    In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, Sasha Selipanov shares the story behind some of the most important modern performance cars — and why he ultimately left the biggest automotive brands to start his own company. From growing up in 1990s Russia and sketching cars as a kid, to shaping icons like the Lamborghini Huracán and Bugatti Chiron, Sasha reveals the tension between engineering and design inside major OEMs, the creative realities of studio life, and what he learned working with Ferdinand Piëch and Koenigsegg. The conversation then shifts to Sasha’s next chapter: founding Nilu and creating the Nilu 27 — a car built around analog driving, a manual transmission, and a philosophy that challenges the industry’s shift toward automation and AI. If you’re interested in how iconic cars are created — and what it takes to build a new automotive brand from scratch — this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:50 - Cars that became real 00:05:06 - Sketching Lamborghinis 00:06:46 - Formative Years 00:09:46 - Collecting Bullets 00:11:55 - Art center 00:12:40 - Meeting Inna 00:14:14 - Sketching Cars as kid 00:17:11 - 90's living in Russia 00:20:35 - From Volkswagen to Koenigsegg 00:21:59 - The Huracan 00:23:41 - The Chiron 00:28:11 - Studio vs Big Car Company's 00:29:37 - Ferdinand Piëch 00:35:56 - Engineering vs Designing 00:37:47 - Going into Genesis 00:42:22 - Koenigsegg 00:45:30 - Committee approach or dictatorship 00:47:27 - His experience at Koenigsegg 00:48:59 - Car production in Sweden 00:50:52 - Koenigsegg Gemera and CC850 00:54:02 - Sketches vs Reality 00:55:38 - Sketching thinking on a production level 00:57:18 - AI in the Automobile industry 00:59:47 - Life after Koenigsegg 01:02:15 - Starting a car company 01:05:08 - Getting Investors 01:07:45 - Throwing back to basis 01:12:35 - Nilu Engine Manufacturers/Hartley Engines 01:14:09 - Nilu 27 01:21:52 - Nilu's Manual transmission/Cima 01:24:27 - Challenges 01:28:07 - The Nilu Reception 01:31:09 - The choices he made 01:33:36 - Final Thoughts #MotoManPodcast #SashaSelipanov #CarDesign #Hypercar #Nilu27 #Koenigsegg #Bugatti #Lamborghini #AutomotiveDesign #ManualTransmission #Supercar #CarDesigner #CarPodcast #MotoManTV #NILU27 #CarDesign #BugattiChiron #Koenigsegg #V12 #ManualTransmission For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV Proudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras

  • S1 · E11
    Nov 20, 2025 · 1 hr 4 min

    The "Tesla Mistake": Why Hyundai is Bringing Back Buttons • Brad Arnold | MotoMan Podcast # 011

    Hyundai is on a design tear — from the IONIQ 5 N to the bold new “Art of Steel” Hyundai Crater Adventure Concept. But what’s really driving Hyundai’s rise? In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, Hyundai Americas Design Director Brad Arnold sits down with MotoMan for a deep dive into the real story behind Hyundai’s design revolution. Brad shares how he went from “not a car guy” to leading design at one of the world’s most aggressive automotive studios. He opens up about his time at ArtCenter, the brutal reality of design school (including sleeping in a Chevy S10), and the surprising work ethic of car designers. He also tells incredible behind-the-scenes stories — including how the Hyundai Chairman personally saved the IONIQ 5, why Hyundai brings back physical buttons while others chase screens, and what really happened in GM’s secret design studio. Plus: Brad reveals exclusive details about the new Hyundai Crater Adventure Concept, the future of Hyundai EV design, and whether Hyundai is finally preparing a real off-road, Jeep competitor. If you’re into car design, Hyundai’s rise, or the unexpected in the car world — this is one you don’t want to miss. Chapters 00:00 From "Not a Car Guy" to Hyundai Design Manager04:06 Growing Up with Honda Racing & Motorcycles06:00 Discovering ArtCenter & The "Night Program"10:36 The Hyundai Meritocracy: Why the Best Idea Wins12:13 Leaving for GM: Inside the Secret "Transformers" Studio16:33 Returning to Hyundai: The Genesis & Luc Donckerwolke Era21:15 Teaching at ArtCenter: How Students Have Changed26:11 Sleeping in a Chevy S10: The Brutal Reality of Design School28:09 The Shocking Work Ethic Difference: US vs. China33:08 How the Chairman Saved the IONIQ 535:17 Why Hyundai Designs Are So Aggressive41:37 First Look: The New "Art of Steel" Adventure Concept45:23 Making EVs Fun: The IONIQ 5 N47:50 Why Hyundai is Bringing Back Physical Buttons53:21 SangYup Lee’s Regrets Designing the Camaro56:38 Imposter Syndrome in Car Design1:00:54 Can Hyundai Build a Real Off-Roader? #Hyundai #HyundaiDesign #Ioniq5 #Ioniq5N #GenesisDesign #CarDesign #AutoDesign #EVDesign #HyundaiIoniq #HyundaiEV #MotoManPodcast #MotoManTV #BradArnold #ArtCenter #HyundaiCrater #HyundaiCraterConcept For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with us here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV Proudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras

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