The Auto Otaku

On this episode of the Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett talks with import drag racing legend Ron Bergenholtz about his journey from the late night Compton street races to winning NHRA championships. 

 Ron also talks about the differences in running a drag team and a pro drift team, how auto enthusiasts evolve as they get older and the barriers and potential of electric vehicles in motorsport.

 Follow Ron on Instagram @ronbergenholtz

On this episode of the Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett is joined once again by automotive journalist and fellow Driving Line contributor Benjamin Hunting to talk cars of the past, present and future. 

Mike and Benjamin talk about the joys of classic Datsun ownership, some of the most interesting new cars, the potential of a Mustang sedan and outdated but popular vehicles like the Toyota 4Runner.

The guys also talk about the transition to electric vehicles and how brands like Chevrolet and Dodge plan to reinvent their performance products for the EV era.

On this episode of The Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett is joined by Diecast cardesigner, car builder and founder of Kaido House Mr. Jun Imai. Jun tells Mike about his automotive roots, his career with Hot Wheels, how he helped influence the diecast car hobby and how he recently founded his own boutique diecast brand.The guys also talk about Jun's fleet of project cars which includes a variety of JDM machinery, both old and new.

On this episode of theAutoOtakuPodcast, Mike Garrett talks with former Formula Drift driver and judge, car-builder, host and YouTuber Tony Angelo.Tony talks about his early days helping to establish the East Coast drift scene, competingin the first seasons of Formula Drift, what it’s like to judge FD competition and then takes us through his adventures with Hot Rod Garage and most recently his own YouTube show “Stay Tuned”.Mike and Tony then chat about some of the underrated, affordable project car platforms out there and give some tips for finding good cars for sale and scoring a good deal.

On this episode of the Auto Otaku Podcast Mike is joined once again by professional photographer and content creator Larry Chen.Mike and Larry talk about the new 2023 Toyota GR Corolla, which Larry recently had some seat time in. Larry also talks about his adventures racing a Ford Crown Vic at Bristol Motor Speedway and the growing problem of sideshows and takeovers in California.Finally, the guys catch up on some of their latest automotive projects.

In this episode of the Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett talks with his two close friends and CAR BROS, Michael Coyne and John Airola. They discuss their history, poking fun at car culture, making a 40 million-view YouTube video, and almost getting kicked out of Monterey Car Week.

The guys also break down some of the most over-hyped enthusiast cars, including the Toyota Supra, the E30 BMW M3, and the Chevy Nova. They also bring up some more affordable alternatives to these hot collector cars.

In this episode of The Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett talks with legendary car builder and racer Stephan Papadakis about his life and current job running a three-car Formula Drift team. Stephan covers everything from engine building and the possibilities of electric drift cars to his first-generation Toyota RAV4 build. 

On this episode of The Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett talks with journalist, photographer, JDM expert, and Nissan GT-R maniac Dino Dalle Carbonare about his life in Japan, buying his brand new skyline GT-R in 1999 and the current state of the Japanese tuning scene. Mike and Dino discuss the skyrocketing prices of classic JDM sports cars, and the popularity of EVs in Japan the most exciting Japanese models currently on sale including the Toyota GR86, the GR Yarisand GR Corolla, and the new Nissan Z.

On this episode of The Auto Otaku Podcast Mike Garrett welcomes journalist, YouTuber and drift maniac Alexi Smith of Noriyaro. Mike and Alexi talk about discovering Japanese car culture, the current state of drifting, the increasing scarcity of cars like the S13 and AE86 - and a whole lot more.

On this episode of The Auto Otaku Podcast, Mike Garrett chats with diecast car collector, expert and influencer John Lambert from the Lamley Group about his background and how he got started in collecting and the current state of the diecast industry from Hot Wheels to Matchbox and beyond. They also talk about the ties between the diecast hobby and modern car culture, some of the most prized cars in John’s collection and more. 

Topics include -

1:35 - How basic diecast cars have managed to stay at the $1 price point for decades

9:52 - The Lamley Group origin story

16:57 - How brands like Hot Wheels have increasingly become tied to real world car culture, including obscure vehicles and genres

28:28 - An ultra rare Datsun 510 diecast from the ‘70s that become one of John’s most prized vehicles

35:10 - Tips for diecast hunting in stores