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 (instagram.com/rj_devera)
@BrianScotto (instagram.com/brianscotto)
@321ActionAction (instagram.com/321actionaction)

Partners:
FCP Euro
Heatwave Visual
Wera Tools
KW Suspension

Producer: Nick Rutter @nickrutterarts (instagram.com/nickrutterarts)
Editor: Julius Adorsu @adorsu.j (instagram.com/adorsu.j)
Music: SlikSound (instagram.com/sliksound_schaine)

Patreon: patreon.com/u37266647

bio.site/321actionaction
podcasts@321actionaction.com

00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
03:36 - Car Culture Health Check
09:23 - SEMA Advocacy Battles
13:14 - Car Audio Nostalgia
14:27 - Magazine Era Memories
15:18 - Hot Import Nights Explained
23:16 - Was RJ the First Automotive Influencer?
29:38 - Sponsor: FCP Euro
31:14 - Fast and Furious - How That All Came About
35:19 - S2000 Movie Afterlife
36:48 - Fast Franchise Tipping Points
37:43 - Tokyo Drift and Drifting Boom
39:06 - Sneakers Meet Car Culture
41:25 - Mark Arcenal and Fatlace
46:02 - Before Fast Breakthrough
49:51 - Early Days with Super Street
52:13 - Building a Brand in 2026
55:09 - Sponsors: Heat Wave Visual, Wera Tools & KW Suspensions
57:09 - RJ’s Daily Driver - From an SLS to an Accord?
01:01:03 - TE37s on an Alpina
01:05:03 - Too Much Tech in Cars - ADAS, Last Good Year?
01:09:39 - Hunting A Honda Project - Everybody’s After the Same Girl
01:15:12 - Aston Vantage F1 Love
01:17:07 - Shooting Brakes And BMWs
01:18:25 - Was the Audi R8 the True Successor to the NSX?
01:21:40 - Only One Car To Keep, Scotto?
01:23:35 - Door Handle Obsession
01:29:37 - Gran Turismo Changed Everything
01:31:52 - Gaming Saved Car Culture: Theyr’e the New Magazines
01:38:26 - Brush with a Racing Career
01:41:10 - Favorite Tracks
01:45:26 - From Racing to Film Sets
01:48:18 - Fast and Furious Legacy
01:53:23 - Inspiring the Next Generation
01:58:11 - Why He Joined SEMA
02:01:09 - What SEMA Actually Does
02:10:44 - 3M Stands for Meetings Meetings Meetings
02:18:34 - Digital Media Shift
02:25:51 - Going to SEMA as a Civilian for Once
02:30:04 - No Seatbelts in Osaka, a Close Brush with Death
02:36:32 - Sketchy Ride Hall of Fame
02:42:22 - Motorcycles and Fear
02:44:47 - Rally Hillclimb Dreams
02:48:08 - Circuit Racing Aesthetics - Why Liveries Matter
02:52:54 - What are the Modern “It” Cars?
02:57:17 - Aftermarket Parts for 90s Cars - A Revival?
03:01:29 - Hope for Car Culture