Fuel For Thought

On this episode of Fuel For Thought Sam chats with Gregory Porter. Gregory is a Lead Specialist of Collector Motorcars and Automobilia at Bonham’s. He is an expert on pre-war cars and loves anything with a Bentley badge. Gregory’s passion for the automobile, like most, started when he was a young child and was fueled by his experiences riding shot-gun in his father’s 3 1/2 liter Bentley!

At OTTO we use the word maestro very rarely, however, in the case of John Willhoit of Willhoit Auto Restoration, the word may not even be an accurate description. John has been the king of Porsche 356 restorations for a long time. His attention to detail, perfectionist standards, and appreciation for the cars he works on are all ingredients that allow him to deliver the best. FFT host Sam Birenbaum dives right in with John to discuss his new 2.2L racing motor, origins of his passion, and his thoughts on the modern crop of Porsches.

The Maestro of Porsche Modifications’ Robert Linton has returned to the Fuel For Thought podcast for his third episode. On this episode of Fuel For Thought Sam and Robert dive into some of Robert’s latest modifications to his 911R and his 991.2 GT2RS. With long standing ties to the Porsche factory, Robert has been able to commission modifications and upgrades to his cars that may seem closer to absurd than necessary, however, they all represent Mr. Linton’s extreme attention to detail and love for fine materials.

Many of our Fuel For Thought listeners are probably familiar with the Ruf brand and the Ruf family. Alois Ruf and his wife Estonia have created a cult following and will always be a favorite mark in the automotive sphere, however there is another Ruf family member who we wanted to chat with and get to know...Aloisa! Aloisa is taking the Ruf brand to new heights. We hope you are as excited as we are to hear about her story and her passion for the cars that make us all so happy.

Eli and Sam chat with Chet Parsons, Sales Director of Bollinger Motors. Bollinger Motors is developing the world’s most capable Class 3 electric trucks. From the ground up, the dream was to build something that didn’t exist. Clean and simple, built to last. Nothing frivolous, nothing unnecessary. All electric. All aluminum. All wheel drive. And they're building them right in Detroit.”

The Monterey Car Week Review”: Birkenstocks and "camo-pants" were out in full force amongst the old-school blue blazers and khakis scene to render this year’s Car Week as “komfort spec”. Tune-in to hear about Laguna Seca and The Quail as well as some insider info on the car market. With much excitement, Eli and Sam touch upon some new developments for 2022’s Car Week...

Eli, Sam, and Shane sit down and review their past few weeks at OTTO to reminisce. They reflect on their adventures in the American southwest during the 2021 "red, hot summer".

On this episode of Fuel for Thought, Eli and Sam are joined by their new colleague Shane Turpin. Shane joined OTTO a few weeks ago as the WERKS Program Manager. He brings 30+ years of racing experience, stories, passion, and humor to his new role. For more info regarding OTTO WERKS, tune-in to this episode or follow @ottowerks on Instagram!

On this special edition of FFT, we are live in the studio with Cam Ingram of Road Scholars, Steve Serio of The Bond Group, and Peter Brotman, legendary car broker and aficionado. Fresh off the Copperstate 1000 road rally, the guys have a laugh sharing their memories, qualms, and take-aways from their 1,000 mile adventure through America’s southwest. We hear everyone’s top three picks from the rally as well as the gang’s great encounter with the one and only “Sedona Tom”.

Eli and Sam take their seats in the Fuel For Thought studio for another hosts-only episode. After a great response to the previous “Shop Talk” episode…here comes another one. Tune-in to hear more about the daily operations at OTTO, the members-only track day, the new OTTO Werks racing program, and much more.