The Avants Podcast

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Etc, Etc...

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

The Life, Times, and Adventures of Otis Porsche

You’ve probably heard that name before - Otis Porsche. If you’re like us, you probably didn’t realize Otis is actually the name of Richard and Dolores Ranhofer’s Porsche Cayenne, which sat on the dock of a bay a little too long. We meet with the elusive couple who have truly been pioneers in getting the Cayenne it’s off-road credit it actually deserves. These two have been overlanding before overlanding was a word, and continue to take their Porsche on truly challenging adventures. Listen to their stories ranging from how they met to how they started taking just about every backroad and rally around, including the infamously challenging Alcan 5000.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts for Car People

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

The Incredible Verena Mei

We don’t use that word to describe a lot of people - incredible - but it fits. From drag racing, to stunt driving, to road racing, to drifting, to rally, AND MORE, Verena Mei has basically done it all. In spite of all that, she’s still humble, charming, and was an absolute joy for us to have on the show. Enjoy this very special, extended podcast featuring a guest you won’t forget and definitely enjoy. 
To find out more about Verena (because we still couldn’t cover it all in 2 hours), check out her website: http://www.verenamei.com/  
You can find Verena on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/verenamei/  
Update: Pastrana’s “record” for rolls is 7 3/4 rolls. Now you know. 

Happy Thanksgiving! Now Go Off-Roading or Autocrossing!

We had a fun time making this kind of random episode, but we wanted to make sure you had something to listen while stuck in traffic. Thank you to all of you who are listening! We really love doing this and you are the reason we do! We talk about electric cars, autocross, the latest Avant’s Off-Road event, and more! Check out the gallery on this episode if you’re looking for a little motivation to join us for an Avant’s Off-Road event as I don’t think we’ve had a more fun one to date!

It’s Porsches All The Way Down With Nathan Merz

We had a really great and honest interview with Nathan Merz, owner of Columbia Valley Luxury Cars. More than that, Nathan is extremely involved in the PCA, a writer, a content creator, and all around great guy. Nathan has been selling and flipping cars, especially Porsches, since he was 13 years old. From giving credit to his wife and family to being open and honest about inflated values, transporting, and auctions, we liked Nathan the minute we met him and we know you will too. Nathan will be coming back very soon to give us some great stories and advise on how to transport your vehicle the right way!

Ann Doherty Reminds Us You Can Start Racing Whenever You Want

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

A Brief History of SEMA and SEMA Updates!

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