The Avants Podcast

A Very Merry Shop Talk

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. 

A Grand Tour of Brendan Tonkin

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 this summer for more exciting updates. 
We also got to check out the new Ineos Grenadier at the Avants Toy Drive in partnership with Collectors' Car Garage (formerly Hagerty Garage and Social / Drivers Club) and it sure lives up to all the hype! If you're interested in one, get a hold of Brendan at Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo. 

It’s a Baja Blast of an Episode with James Manning with Rothsport!

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!

Heckmann & Thiemann - 55 Years Of Servicing Your Porsche, VW, and Subaru

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 it has impacted owners who bought “cheap” 911s, talk about how to store a car for 20 years, and so much more! Did you know the 356 was going to be the Continental?
Heckmann & Thiemann is an Avants partner and offers 10% off labor for Avants Members! Check them out online at https://heckmannthiemann.com!

Chris Delano: President of IPD and the Authority on Volvo Performance

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 Volvo, you need to check out IPD! https://www.ipdusa.com/

Truly Great Stories with Greg Stanley

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. 

Is There Anything Vinny Russo Hasn’t Done?

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, and he does most of the talking in this episode. We assure it's worth listening to as Vinny is an extremely interesting guest with a lot of great stories. 

Alfa Romeo Brand Marketing Manager & Comedian Kara Coraci Sellentine

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!