MotoManTV Podcast

MotoManTV Podcast
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Automotive
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the MotoManTV Podcast, the reimagined version of Inside the MotoMan Studio. Join MotoMan for in-depth conversations with the key people shaping the automotive, tech & business worlds. From CEOs and legendary designers to race car drivers, we bring you the human stories behind the cars we love along with a glimpse into the future. Subscribe for new episodes every week. For more driving adventures, visit the #MotoManTV Cars channel @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Or catch our short form content @ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.instagram.com/motomantv #MotoManTVPodcast

  1. 18h ago

    Bob Lutz on Who Wins and Who Dies | MotoMan Podcast # 032

    The global auto industry is changing faster than it has in decades — and Bob Lutz has some very strong opinions about who is getting it right, who is getting it wrong and which automakers may be in serious trouble. This week on the MotoMan Podcast, Bob Lutz returns for a wide-ranging conversation about China, the future of the German auto industry, electric vehicles, Porsche, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, General Motors, Ford, Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, Ferrari, Corvette and the rapidly changing economics of building cars. Are Chinese automakers really leaving the West behind? Bob argues the real Chinese advantage may have less to do with EV technology than many people think — and far more to do with cost, development speed, vertical integration and the ability to improve products at a pace legacy automakers struggle to match. Then there’s Germany. Bob explains why he no longer considers companies like BMW, Mercedes and Audi as bulletproof as he once did, why China has become such a major problem for European automakers, and why Volkswagen and Porsche face particularly difficult decisions. He also weighs in on Porsche’s EV strategy, the enormous cost of failed vehicle programs and whether the German government would ever allow its biggest automotive companies to fail. Bob and MotoMan debate GM’s current strength, why Hyundai and Kia continue to move so quickly, Tesla’s shrinking product portfolio, the future of EV batteries and fast charging, Slate Auto, Rivian, software-defined vehicles, humanoid robots in automotive manufacturing and whether automation could ultimately help Western automakers close the cost gap with China. They also get into enthusiast cars, Corvette, the possibility of a Corvette SUV, why performance vehicles still matter to automakers, Ferrari design, the Pontiac Aztek and one of the most important questions facing the industry: Who adapts — and who gets left behind? CHAPTERS 00:00 Bob Lutz Returns01:26 Bob’s Wild Custom Pontiac08:00 Are EVs Still the Future?15:20 The Battery Breakthrough Coming Next20:10 Are German Automakers in Trouble?21:52 China Changes the Equation26:19 The Real Chinese Automotive Threat30:26 Can China and the West Coexist?38:20 Why Car Development Takes Too Long45:42 Tesla’s Radical Product Strategy50:10 Slate Auto, Rivian & the Maverick52:26 Who’s Winning — and Who’s Losing?54:30 Volkswagen and Porsche in Trouble57:28 Should Governments Bail Out Carmakers?1:00:01 The Economy and the Auto Business1:10:29 Do Enthusiast Cars Still Matter?1:14:41 Should Corvette Become a Brand?1:17:46 What CEOs Must Learn From China1:20:26 Can Robots Save Legacy Automakers?1:24:14 Why China Can Improve So Quickly1:27:46 Ferrari and “Adult Supervision”1:28:32 What the Pontiac Aztek Teaches Us1:32:09 What Happened to German Car Design? #BobLutz #AutomotiveIndustry #ChinaCars #Porsche #Volkswagen #BMW #MercedesBenz #Audi #ElectricVehicles #EV #GeneralMotors #Tesla #Corvette #CarIndustry #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been. Proudly shot on Sony’s Cinema line of Cameras

    Bob Lutz on Who Wins and Who Dies | MotoMan Podcast # 032

  2. Sep 23

    Stop Buying EVs You Don’t Need | MotoMan Podcast # 031

    Are EVs actually failing—or did the automotive industry simply promise too much, too soon? This week on the MotoMan Podcast, George sits down with EVgo product leader Alex Keros for a candid reality check on electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure and where the industry goes from here. Alex has spent years working on alternative-fuel vehicles, from hydrogen at General Motors to today’s public EV charging network. And his view of the electric future is far more nuanced than the usual pro-EV vs. anti-EV debate. His philosophy? Stop dealing in “hopeful math” and deal with reality. That means admitting EVs aren’t the right solution for every driver. It also means recognizing where electric cars genuinely offer a better experience—and confronting why public EV charging can still be frustrating, unreliable and unnecessarily complicated. George and Alex dig into why EV charging still feels like “Windows 3.1,” why Tesla approached charging differently, whether America’s aging power grid can actually support millions more EVs, and why China’s extraordinary pace of battery and charging development should have Western automakers paying attention. They also explore BYD and megawatt charging, 5–10 minute charging technology, 800-volt and 1,000-volt architectures, solid-state batteries, the future of hydrogen and why learning to fail faster may be one of the most important lessons the American auto industry can take from its global competitors. This is not an argument for EVs or against them. It’s a conversation about where the technology actually works, where it doesn’t, what the industry got wrong—and what needs to happen next. CHAPTERS: 0:00 The EV Reality Check1:36 Reuniting After 16 Years3:05 Stop Using “Hopeful Math”9:30 Hydrogen vs. Batteries in 201013:30 Why We Need to Fail More19:00 Where EVs Really Stand in 202621:08 Who Should NOT Buy an EV?23:27 EVs Don’t Need to Work for Everyone25:02 How EVs Became a Movement27:40 Why Automakers Sold EVs Wrong32:17 The Reality of EV Road Trips35:17 Hopeful Math vs. Charging Reality38:03 The Ohio EV Road Trip Challenge41:03 Why Public Chargers Still Fail44:47 EV Charging Is “Windows 3.1”47:01 Why Charging Isn’t Frictionless53:56 Why Tesla Got Charging Right59:17 Can the Power Grid Handle EVs?1:04:32 Can the Grid Handle 20M EVs?1:07:24 Is China Beating America in EVs?1:09:20 BYD & 5-Minute EV Charging1:13:00 Why America Needs to Fail Faster1:14:50 Who Is Actually Innovating?1:20:25 EVs That Get It Right1:23:58 What Comes After 800 Volts?1:25:48 Solid-State Batteries: How Far Away?1:26:46 Is Hydrogen Really Dead?1:27:48 Advice for the Next Generation1:32:18 Final Thoughts What do you think: Have EVs been oversold—or is the technology simply going through the growing pains every major innovation faces? #ElectricVehicles #EVCharging #EVgo #EV #Tesla #BYD #ElectricCars #EVInfrastructure #AutomotiveIndustry #FutureOfCars #MotoMan #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    Stop Buying EVs You Don’t Need | MotoMan Podcast # 031

  3. Aug 5

    He Went From Selling Buses to Running Mercedes | MotoMan Podcast # 030

    How does a young engineer from the Greek island of Crete go from selling buses to leading Mercedes-Benz in America? Dimitris Psillakis never mapped out the career that followed. He joined Mercedes-Benz through an international management-trainee program, took responsibility for a small bus division in Greece and then accepted a series of increasingly complex assignments across four continents. Along the way, he oversaw operations across 29 Latin American countries, helped establish a Mercedes-Benz factory in Brazil, encountered customers armoring everything from C-Classes to Smart cars, navigated the cultural and business challenges of South Korea and ultimately arrived in the United States during the height of the pandemic. In this episode, Dimitris shares how curiosity, adaptability, discipline and resilience shaped his rise—and why he believes the best careers are built by focusing on the next decision rather than trying to plan the next 20 years. A production note: This is one of our final vault episodes, recorded before we upgraded to our current camera equipment. The picture quality may look different, but the audio, post-production and storytelling remain the same. What do you think matters most when building a truly global career: ambition, adaptability or resilience? Share your thoughts in the comments. CHAPTERS 00:00 One of Our Final Vault Episodes01:07 From Crete to a Global Career02:44 Studying in Britain—and Buying a Renault 5 Turbo04:33 Military Service and a Multinational Dream05:40 Joining Mercedes-Benz07:14 His First Leadership Role: Buses09:26 The Importance of Discipline and Resilience10:54 Growing Mercedes-Benz in Greece11:18 Why Mercedes Sent Him to Brazil14:05 Managing 29 Countries15:49 Reinventing Mercedes-Benz in Brazil17:09 Building a Factory—and Armoring Smart Cars20:16 The Move From Brazil to South Korea23:03 His Greatest Cultural Challenge25:42 Making Korea a Top Mercedes-Benz Market27:30 The Move to Canada28:50 Arriving in America During COVID30:27 The Challenge of Running Mercedes in the US32:05 What Four Continents Taught Him33:06 His Best Career Advice34:15 The Best Places He Lived35:01 The Future of Mercedes-Benz #MercedesBenz #DimitrisPsillakis #Leadership #AutomotiveIndustry #CareerAdvice #GlobalBusiness #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    He Went From Selling Buses to Running Mercedes | MotoMan Podcast # 030

  4. Jul 29

    Can Slate Actually Deliver a $25K Truck?

    Slate is promising a $25,000 electric truck with no traditional trim levels, no sprawling options list and a radically different approach to personalization. But can that idea survive contact with manufacturing, service and the realities of launching a new car company? CJ Waelti joins the MotoMan Podcast to explain why the electric powertrain may be the least interesting part of Slate. Drawing on a career that has taken him from Harley-Davidson to Tesla, Rivian and now Slate, CJ lays out how the company is combining old-school mechanical expression with modern manufacturing. We dig into Slate’s blank-canvas philosophy, the risk that personalization becomes an expensive upsell, its DIY accessory strategy, removable seat covers, swappable body panels, simplified vehicle wraps and the company’s plan to begin delivering trucks in late 2026. More importantly, CJ answers the question hanging over every automotive startup: Why should anyone believe Slate can actually deliver? Chapters 00:00 Why Slate may be different01:45 CJ Waelti joins the podcast02:23 From Harley-Davidson to Tesla04:26 Why CJ believes in Slate06:31 The EV may be the least interesting part07:46 No options, no trims09:09 Can personalization work on a $25K truck?10:31 Avoiding the upsell trap11:12 Removable seats and swappable accessories12:17 Why affordability is the real message14:36 Bringing DIY back to the automobile16:42 Can Slate reconnect young people with cars?18:56 Have automakers gone too far with screens?20:30 How Slate plans to handle service21:45 Designing accessories for DIY installation24:17 How Slate made wrapping a car easier27:37 Three reasons Slate will deliver in 202628:36 What should Slate build next? #SlateAuto #ElectricTruck #ElectricVehicles #EVStartup #AutomotiveIndustry #CarPodcast #MotoManPodcast #MadeInAmerica #Tesla #Rivian For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    Can Slate Actually Deliver a $25K Truck?

  5. Jul 22

    They Called Him Unreliable. Then He Proved Them Wrong | MotoMan Podcast # 028

    Chris Benjamin’s path to the top of automotive design was anything but straightforward. Long before becoming Chief Design Officer at Scout Motors, Benjamin arrived at design school unable to properly draw a car in three dimensions, learned a painful lesson after being labeled “unreliable,” and eventually landed what looked like a dream job at Mercedes-Benz. There was just one problem: he was so deep in debt that he spent his days designing Mercedes and his nights working a full-time shift at Taco Bell—sometimes surviving on barely three hours of sleep. That experience helped shape a career that would span Mercedes-Benz, BMW Designworks, Volvo and Stellantis. Benjamin explains how a last-minute design proposal changed his trajectory at Mercedes, how he helped establish the proportions that would define a new generation of Volvos, and how his luxury-car experience influenced the transformation of Jeep interiors in vehicles like the Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer. Then came an entirely different challenge: bringing Scout back. Recorded before the new Scout vehicles were revealed, this conversation explores what attracted Benjamin to the dormant American nameplate, what made the original Scout different from Jeep and Bronco, and why he believes reviving an icon requires understanding more than its styling cues. CHAPTERS 00:00 Mercedes by day, Taco Bell by night02:27 How a childhood obsession with cars began11:16 Discovering design could become a career15:54 Three weeks from Miami to design school in Detroit20:33 Learning the unwritten realities of car design24:08 Being labeled “unreliable”29:44 Working three jobs just to stay in school31:01 Starting his career at Mercedes-Benz35:14 The secret Taco Bell night shift40:13 The Mercedes boss who changed his life42:18 Breaking through as a Mercedes designer47:31 Moving to Volvo—and getting a design into production49:05 How Volvo changed after Ford53:22 Joining Chrysler and Stellantis56:21 Transforming Jeep interiors58:37 What actually makes an interior feel expensive59:26 Fighting for better Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer interiors01:02:47 The renegade culture inside Chrysler01:10:08 Why he left for Scout Motors01:11:49 Was the original Scout really first?01:13:54 The vision for bringing Scout back01:19:09 What design elements should survive01:20:50 Why good design isn’t always free #ChrisBenjamin #MercedesBenz #ScoutMotors #Jeep #Volvo #CarDesign #AutomotiveDesign #MotoManTV #MotoManPodcast For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    They Called Him Unreliable. Then He Proved Them Wrong | MotoMan Podcast # 028

  6. Jul 15

    The Opposite Of A Tesla Is The Next Classic | MotoMan Podcast # 027

    What will car collectors want when today’s roads are filled with electric, autonomous computers on wheels? According to Tommy Mica of TFLcar, the answer may be the exact opposite of a Tesla Model Y. In this very different MotoMan podcast episode, Tommy makes the case for the strange, tactile and overlooked cars hiding in plain sight. They discuss why analog experiences are returning, what actually makes a car collectible and which affordable cars could be tomorrow’s classics—from Land Rover LR3s and Pontiac Fieros to early Aston Martin V8 Vantages, forgotten Cadillacs, 1990s GM performance cars and manual V8 muscle. Before they get there, MotoMan reveals how his nearly new Porsche accumulated an astonishing $46,000 in warranty work—including an $11,000 headlight—and Tommy explains the difference between a car being reliable, fixable or simply defended by a very loyal owner. They also get into subscription fatigue, modern-car complexity, the psychology behind collector values, Tommy’s unusual personal fleet and the lessons that helped TFL grow into one of YouTube’s largest automotive brands. Which overlooked car do you believe will become the next major collectible? CHAPTERS 00:00 The Opposite of a Tesla01:45 Tommy Mica Has a Problem03:28 $46,000 in Porsche Warranty Work05:11 The $11,000 Porsche Headlight07:37 Cars You Should Never Own Past Warranty10:07 Maintenance vs. Reliability13:08 Are Modern Cars Built to Last?16:18 Reliable or Just Easy to Fix?17:16 Tommy’s Unusual Car Collection18:26 The Land Rover That May Become Collectible19:43 Will People Really Stop Buying New Cars?21:17 Tommy’s Aston Martin Insurance Problem22:41 Drag Racing the CEO of Hagerty24:14 What Makes a Car Collectible?28:52 Why Analog Cars Are Coming Back30:44 The Split Between Analog and Digital32:53 People Are Tired of Computers on Wheels34:26 The Next Underappreciated Classics35:34 Cheap Bentleys, Phantoms and V12 Luxury38:13 Should We Buy a Bentley Mulsanne?39:02 Forgotten SUVs and Trucks41:56 Will Pontiac Fiero Values Keep Rising?44:01 The Overlooked Cars of 1990s GM46:49 Why Manual Cars Will Matter48:24 The $33,000 Aston Martin Bargain50:37 The Business Case for Giving Buyers What They Want52:49 Building the Anti-Tesla Collector Car54:02 How Tommy Helped Transform TFL55:48 Tommy’s Rules for Growing on YouTube #TommyMica #TFLcar #MotoManPodcast #ClassicCars #FutureClassics #CollectorCars #AnalogCars #CarCulture #Porsche #Tesla For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    The Opposite Of A Tesla Is The Next Classic | MotoMan Podcast # 027

  7. Jul 8

    The Jeff Bezos Startup Doing Less On Purpose | MotoMan Podcast # 026

    Slate Auto has been described as a Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup building a $25,000 electric truck — but that is only part of the story. In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, we sit down with Rod Copes, Slate Auto board director and employee number one, to discuss the real strategy behind Slate: radical simplicity, American manufacturing, affordability, and avoiding the mistakes that crushed so many EV startups. Rod explains what he learned from Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield, and Rivian, including what “production hell” really means and why Slate is deliberately doing less on purpose. The conversation goes deep into the $24,950 price promise, why Slate chose a two-door pickup layout, how the company plans to build in Indiana, and why the future of affordable transportation may depend on bringing manufacturing back to the United States. This is not just a conversation about a cheap EV truck. It is a conversation about whether America can still build things people can actually afford. Chapters:00:00 Highlight Open01:48 Why Rod Copes Matters To Slate02:44 Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield & Rivian05:08 Rebuild Manufacturing & MIT08:46 Why US Manufacturing Matters11:24 What Changed After The Pandemic12:30 Why Time Beats Cash In Startups14:13 Can Slate Really Launch In 2026?16:44 Simplify, Simplify, Simplify18:03 The Risk Slate Is Taking19:32 The Bezos / Amazon Influence22:06 Slate’s Culture & Decision Making23:10 What Production Hell Really Means27:01 The Rivian Lesson Slate Learned29:37 Avoiding The EV Startup Trap31:08 How Slate Plans To Be Profitable33:19 Ford, Competition & The $25K Promise34:06 Why Car Pricing Feels Deceptive37:35 Making A Cheap Car Desirable39:16 Who Is Slate Really For?42:19 Could Slate Work For Apartment Dwellers?44:28 Why Slate Chose Two Doors47:30 The Battery Supply Challenge50:02 Why Slate Had To Be Electric55:30 Why Indiana?58:29 Could Slate Have Built It Cheaper Overseas?59:34 The US Manufacturing Renaissance01:02:09 What Slate Wants To Know From Viewers #SlateAuto #SlateTruck #RodCopes #MotoManPodcast #JeffBezos #ElectricTruck #EVTruck #AmericanManufacturing #MadeInUSA #Rivian #FordMaverick #AffordableCars #EVStartup #Manufacturing #CarIndustry #ElectricVehicles #MotoManTV For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    The Jeff Bezos Startup Doing Less On Purpose | MotoMan Podcast # 026

  8. Jul 1

    He Failed Engineering. Then Ran Nissan Design | MotoMan Podcast # 025

    Most car designers are supposed to follow a path. Alfonso Albaisa did not. Before he became the global design leader behind Nissan’s future, he was a Cuban-American kid in Miami who did not learn English until he was six or seven, dressed like Napoleon, drew in a closet, nearly failed engineering with a 0.5 GPA, and found his way through art, architecture, balsa wood boats, New York, Detroit, and one unforgettable Jaguar E-Type. In this episode of the MotoMan Podcast, Alfonso Albaisa joins MotoMan for a deeply personal conversation about the unlikely road that took him from South Florida to the top of Nissan design. This is not just a story about cars. It is a story about exile, family, failure, obsession, creative purpose, and why the car industry keeps falling into the trap of copying whatever looks cool. Alfonso shares how his father’s architecture studio shaped the way he saw the world, why his mother quietly redirected his life, how a Jaguar E-Type changed everything, why Detroit nearly broke him and how Nissan found him in New York This is the story of an outsider who did not fit the system — and then helped shape one of the most important Japanese car brands in the world. CHAPTERS:00:00 The Outsider Who Ended Up Running Nissan Design01:49 Two Years In The Making02:39 From Immigrant Kid In Miami To Global Design Leader03:15 Leaving Cuba And Starting Over05:23 Architecture, Train Stations And Transportation In The Family07:50 The Real Forrest Gump Story08:34 Landing In Miami With Nothing09:19 Drawing In The Closet And Dressing Like Napoleon11:35 The Mother Who Saw Everything12:43 Where Cars Finally Enter The Story14:12 The Jaguar E-Type Moment16:03 Richard Nixon’s House And His Father’s American Story18:28 Learning Design By Sitting Next To His Father20:25 Isamu Noguchi, Architecture And Fresh Concrete22:48 Why Architecture Still Connects Him To His Father23:36 Bad Grades, University Of Florida And A 0.5 GPA24:41 Ceramics, Figure Drawing And Finding His Purpose26:07 Pratt, New York And The Road To Detroit27:44 The Renault Le Car Interruption28:28 Why Detroit Was The Wrong Room29:48 Leaving Transportation Design Behind30:50 How Nissan Found Him31:54 Drawing Cars Like Human Figures33:02 New York, Clubs And Creative Obsession34:06 Detroit Work Ethic And Finding The Gear35:16 Why He Did Not Want To Leave New York36:55 Moving To California And Nissan’s San Diego Studio38:21 The “Country Club” Design Studio39:14 The Yacht That Paid For The Volleyball Court41:16 Why Nissan Designers Took Outside Work42:45 Why Nissan Must Not Copy Everyone Else43:12 The Danger Of “Cool Hunters”44:45 Inspiration Versus Business45:04 Starting At Nissan46:43 Gemba, Japanese Culture And Collective Design48:01 Becoming Head Of Nissan Design49:46 Studying Japanese Art And Design50:12 The Meaning Of “Ma”51:07 The Nissan Logo And The Power Of Sincerity52:25 Why This Conversation Needs A Part Two#MotoManPodcast #AlfonsoAlbaisa #Nissan #CarDesign #AutomotiveDesign #NissanDesign #Infiniti #JapaneseDesign #DesignStory #MotoManTV For driving adventures & car reviews, before sure to visit us @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Download the MotoManTV Podcast @https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/motomantv-podcast/id1836304387 https://open.spotify.com/show/0V4AKzLYrZc6rNCF23kwOt https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/90ba9b31-fe69-4baf-817d-cb3816a33c21/motomantv-podcast Connect with our Short Form content here: https://www.instagram.com/motomantv/ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.tiktok.com/@themotomantv http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVPodcastClips http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsShorts http://www.YouTube.com/@MMTVCarsClips Help us grow the show! If you enjoyed this deep dive into the "grind" of motorsport, please Subscribe and Share this episode on Reddit. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, leave us a written review and tell us who your favorite guest has been.

    He Failed Engineering. Then Ran Nissan Design | MotoMan Podcast # 025
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About

Welcome to the MotoManTV Podcast, the reimagined version of Inside the MotoMan Studio. Join MotoMan for in-depth conversations with the key people shaping the automotive, tech & business worlds. From CEOs and legendary designers to race car drivers, we bring you the human stories behind the cars we love along with a glimpse into the future. Subscribe for new episodes every week. For more driving adventures, visit the #MotoManTV Cars channel @ https://www.youtube.com/@MMTVCars Or catch our short form content @ https://x.com/MotoManTV https://www.instagram.com/motomantv #MotoManTVPodcast

Information

  • Creator
    MotoManTV Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © MotoManTV Podcast
  • Show Website
    MotoManTV Podcast

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