The First Automotive Influencer? | RJ de Vera's life in Cars from The Fast and the Furious to SEMA

Very Vehicular welcomes RJ de Vera! Each season we like to bring on a guest from inside the automotive industry whose position and experience helps us better understand the issues facing car culture, and while RJ is more than qualified in that regard, there’s more that he’s done… much more! He was a foundational part of the import scene in the 90s, working as a writer and photographer for Super Street before ascending to Editor at Large. He was the go-to guy on the scene consulting for a plethora of OEMs and brands looking to break off a little piece of the magic for themselves. He even had a role in a notable movie franchise - word to the wise is he’s still collecting residual checks for his on-screen role to this day. Trading the underground for a storied chapter in the corporate world (twelve years at 3M / Meguiars no less), he’s now taken his rightful place atop the mountain as Vice President of Marketing at SEMA. Of most interest to us though? He’s a fully paid-up, card-carrying car nerd, with extraordinary stories and an insight into car culture you won’t want to miss. Enjoy!

@RJ_Devera

@BrianScotto

@321ActionAction

Partners:

FCP Euro

Heatwave Visual

Wera Tools

KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts

Editor: Julius Adorsu @adorsu.j

Music: SlikSound 

Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647

https://bio.site/321actionaction

podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction

03:36 - Car Culture Health Check

09:23 - SEMA Advocacy Battles

13:14 - Car Audio Nostalgia

14:27 - Magazine Era Memories

15:18 - Hot Import Nights Explained

23:16 - Was RJ the First Automotive Influencer?

29:38 - Sponsor: FCP Euro

31:14 - Fast and Furious - How That All Came About

35:19 - S2000 Movie Afterlife

36:48 - Fast Franchise Tipping Points

37:43 - Tokyo Drift and Drifting Boom

39:06 - Sneakers Meet Car Culture

41:25 - Mark Arcenal and Fatlace

46:02 - Before Fast Breakthrough

49:51 - Early Days with Super Street

52:13 - Building a Brand in 2026

55:09 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions

57:09 - RJ’s Daily Driver - From an SLS to an Accord?

01:01:03 - TE37s on an Alpina

01:05:03 - Too Much Tech in Cars - ADAS, Last Good Year?

01:09:39 - Hunting A Honda Project - Everybody’s After the Same Girl

01:15:12 - Aston Vantage F1 Love

01:17:07 - Shooting Brakes And BMWs

01:18:25 - Was the Audi R8 the True Successor to the NSX?

01:21:40 - Only One Car To Keep, Scotto?

01:23:35 - Door Handle Obsession

01:29:37 - Gran Turismo Changed Everything

01:31:52 - Gaming Saved Car Culture: Theyr’e the New Magazines

01:38:26 - Brush with a Racing Career

01:41:10 - Favorite Tracks

01:45:26 - From Racing to Film Sets

01:48:18 - Fast and Furious Legacy

01:53:23 - Inspiring the Next Generation

01:58:11 - Why He Joined SEMA

02:01:09 - What SEMA Actually Does

02:10:44 - 3M Stands for Meetings Meetings Meetings

02:18:34 - Digital Media Shift

02:25:51 - Going to SEMA as a Civilian for Once

02:30:04 - No Seatbelts in Osaka, a Close Brush with Death

02:36:32 - Sketchy Ride Hall of Fame

02:42:22 - Motorcycles and Fear

02:44:47 - Rally Hillclimb Dreams

02:48:08 - Circuit Racing Aesthetics - Why Liveries Matter

02:52:54 - What are the Modern “It” Cars?

02:57:17 - Aftermarket Parts for 90s Cars - A Revival?

03:01:29 - Hope for Car Culture