Very Vehicular

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@321ActionActionPartners:FCP EuroHeatwave VisualWera ToolsKW SuspensionProducer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterartsEditor: Julius Adorsu @adorsu.jMusic: SlikSound Patreon: https://patreon.com/u37266647https://bio.site/[email protected]:00 - Welcome & Introduction03:36 - Car Culture Health Check09:23 - SEMA Advocacy Battles13:14 - Car Audio Nostalgia14:27 - Magazine Era Memories15:18 - Hot Import Nights Explained23:16 - Was RJ the First Automotive Influencer?29:38 - Sponsor: FCP Euro31:14 - Fast and Furious - How That All Came About35:19 - S2000 Movie Afterlife36:48 - Fast Franchise Tipping Points37:43 - Tokyo Drift and Drifting Boom39:06 - Sneakers Meet Car Culture41:25 - Mark Arcenal and Fatlace46:02 - Before Fast Breakthrough49:51 - Early Days with Super Street52:13 - Building a Brand in 202655:09 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions57:09 - RJ’s Daily Driver - From an SLS to an Accord?01:01:03 - TE37s on an Alpina01:05:03 - Too Much Tech in Cars - ADAS, Last Good Year?01:09:39 - Hunting A Honda Project - Everybody’s After the Same Girl01:15:12 - Aston Vantage F1 Love01:17:07 - Shooting Brakes And BMWs01:18:25 - Was the Audi R8 the True Successor to the NSX?01:21:40 - Only One Car To Keep, Scotto?01:23:35 - Door Handle Obsession01:29:37 - Gran Turismo Changed Everything01:31:52 - Gaming Saved Car Culture: Theyr’e the New Magazines01:38:26 - Brush with a Racing Career01:41:10 - Favorite Tracks01:45:26 - From Racing to Film Sets01:48:18 - Fast and Furious Legacy01:53:23 - Inspiring the Next Generation01:58:11 - Why He Joined SEMA02:01:09 - What SEMA Actually Does02:10:44 - 3M Stands for Meetings Meetings Meetings02:18:34 - Digital Media Shift02:25:51 - Going to SEMA as a Civilian for Once02:30:04 - No Seatbelts in Osaka, a Close Brush with Death02:36:32 - Sketchy Ride Hall of Fame02:42:22 - Motorcycles and Fear02:44:47 - Rally Hillclimb Dreams02:48:08 - Circuit Racing Aesthetics - Why Liveries Matter02:52:54 - What are the Modern “It” Cars?02:57:17 - Aftermarket Parts for 90s Cars - A Revival?03:01:29 - Hope for Car Culture