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The Bucket Seat

Author: Trevor Byrne and Bonar Bulger

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An audio exploration of passionate automotive minds, hosted by Trevor Byrne and Bonar Bulger.
81 Episodes
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In this episode, we sit down with Lucas Scarfone...photographer, publisher, and the guy who’s probably taken one of your favourite car photos without you even knowing it.We talk about how it all started for him, shooting with a Nikon in high school and chasing down the kind of cars most people only dream about. Lucas shares how Autostrada came to life, what it means to really connect with the car community, and why he still believes in doing things the hard way if it means doing them right.We get into:What makes a great car photo really stickHow Autostrada became more than just a magazineThe tension between creativity and brand workPrint vs. digital and why both still matterThe value of showing up, camera in hand, over and over againThis one’s a mix of car stories, business lessons, and real talk about what it means to build a life doing what you love.If you’ve ever picked up a camera, loved a car, or thought about making your own thing from scratch, this episode’s worth a listen.
Porsche Canada has officially opened the doors to its first-ever Experience Centre—and we sat down with two key voices behind it. In this episode, Trevor Arthur (CEO, Porsche Canada) and Jennifer Cooper (Manager, PEC Toronto) join us to talk about what makes the centre more than just a track.We get into Trevor’s return to Canada, the vision for Porsche’s future, and the incredible one-of-one GT3 RS designed to mark the launch. Jennifer shares how the PEC was built with intention, from the track layout and Canadian design cues to the art installation and guest experience.Released on Canada Day, this episode is a celebration of homegrown passion, national design, and the people behind one of Porsche’s most ambitious projects to date.
Lotus turns up the power to 2,000 hp, BMW walks away from the manual, and Polestar keeps its best work overseas.This week on The Bucket Seat, Bonar and Trevor look at the kind of stories that remind you why cars are brilliant and ridiculous in equal measure. Thunderous power, questionable decisions, and enough drama to keep a V12 warm on a winter morning. It is all here.In this episode:The 2,000 hp Lotus Evija: A hypercar that feels closer to a science experiment than something with a number plate.BMW ends the manual M car: The last three-pedal M enters the history books. Progress or a mistake that enthusiasts will remember.Polestar 5 launches in Europe only: A serious GT with 884 hp that North America will not see anytime soon.Lexus and the LFA successor whispers: Rumours of a follow-up to one of the most memorable performance cars of the last twenty years.Ford and Amazon test a new used-car marketplace: Car shopping meets online retail. Helpful or unnecessary.UK EV tax changes: Road tax and a pay per mile charge reshape the economics of electric motoring.The week felt like a tug of war between speed, nostalgia and a few decisions that deserve a closer look. Plenty to argue about and plenty to enjoy.Hosts: Bonar Bulger and Trevor Byrne.
In this episode of The Bucket Seat, Trevor and Bonar sit down with filmmaker and Tangent Vector CEO JF Musial for a deep dive into car culture, storytelling and the messy reality behind building a career in automotive film.JF traces his path from obsessive road-tripper and early YouTube experimenter to co-founding DRIVE, building it into one of the world’s biggest automotive channels and ultimately stepping away under difficult circumstances. He talks directly about risk, business failures, negotiating TV deals with NBC Sports and how adversity became the real boot camp that shaped his career.The conversation covers:The first beat-up B5 Audi A4 that started it all and why imperfect cars matterCross-country road trips, freedom and Bonar committing on air to drive his Volvo 240 wagon across CanadaBehind-the-scenes stories from early YouTube including “smash and grab” shoots and filming McLaren’s P1 while Top Gear shot the 918 on the same trackImposter syndrome, overwork and losing track of past work because there was simply too much of itWhy algorithms are destroying attention spans and why JF believes audiences want flaws, failure and honest struggleThe making of “Edith – Porsche’s Volcano Ascent” and the physical limits of filming at extreme altitudeHow he protects story integrity while working with major brands and why blunt honesty and effort matterThoughts on AI and why imperfection will become more valuable as synthetic content growsCreators he respects, including Luke Huxham and photographer Canden ThrasherJF also shares the story behind his temporary ban from Canada after a mis-timed Arctic arrival, hints at upcoming projects he can’t discuss and reflects on what kind of work is worth making in a saturated content world.For anyone interested in cars, long-form storytelling or the reality of building a creative career under platform pressure, this episode lands hard.Audio Engineer: Justin DhamaProduced by: Steak+Sizzle
It’s Halloween week on The Bucket Seat and the auto industry is just as spooky — from Subaru’s return to performance glory, to GM’s plan to kill Apple CarPlay, and Toyota building a luxury brand above Lexus.What’s inside: Subaru STI Resurrection: Dual concepts — gas and EV — at the Japan Mobility Show. Nostalgia meets electrification. GM vs. CarPlay: The bold (or boneheaded) decision to cut Apple and Google out of future dashboards. Toyota’s New “Century” Brand: Moving above Lexus to challenge Rolls and Bentley. Mitsubishi Elevance Concept: A quad-motor adventure EV that looks ready for Iceland, not the mall. Germany’s Chip-Sharing Pact: Automakers teaming up to survive another shortage. Ferrari’s Record Profits: The hybrid era hits the sweet spot between performance and conscience. Lucid’s Level-4 “Earth” EV: Autonomy hype or genuine leap forward?Hosted by Bonar Bulger and Trevor Byrne, this episode blends industry insight with the same garage-floor curiosity that drives the show. From design obsessions to tech overreach, we’re figuring out what really matters in cars right now.Listen wherever you get your podcasts — and keep an eye out for our next Project Ignition drop.
Wolfgang Bremer. Designing the Edges of the EV RevolutionOn this episode of The Bucket Seat, Trevor and Bonar talk with Wolfgang Bremer, a German-Canadian design leader who previously led design at Volkswagen Group Charging (Elli). Wolfgang’s career spans SAP and Nokia, and his focus sits where cars meet infrastructure: charging, software, energy, and the everyday details that shape EV ownership.Across a fast, candid hour we cover:Designing the world around the car: why UX for charging, apps, and services is now core to the automotive experience.From chaos to craft: building design maturity inside a young organization growing at OEM scale.Fragmented charging UX: cards, tariffs, plugs—and what “it should just work” really means for drivers.Hardware vs. software: legacy automakers as car companies first; tech challengers as software first—and the convergence ahead.Real-life EV stories: ID.4 GTX as a daily, family miles in the ID.7 Tourer, and why tactile buttons still matter.What’s next: ultra-fast charging, inductive pads, smarter residential infrastructure, and seamless handoffs between phone, grid, and vehicle.Car memories bonus: Wolfgang’s first car was a purple two-door Opel Astra F (yes, Saturn Astra vibes in North America), plus a backpacking road trip in a Golf II and the family’s manual-gearbox Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.Pull quote: “Design isn’t just the screen—it’s everything between the product and the person.”GuestWebsite: bremer.coThreads: @WolfgangBremerBlueSky: @wolfgang.bremer.coHostsTrevor Byrne & Bonar BulgerThe Bucket Seat explores the people, ideas, and design choices that make car culture tick—from motorsport and memories to the UX that powers the electric future. Subscribe, rate, and share if you enjoyed the conversation.
News-round episode: Bonar and Trevor tackle a week of wild headlines across EVs, trucks, motorsport, heritage, and hacks. What we coverAcura ZDX axed: Honda kills Acura’s first modern EV in North America. Pricing, timing, and the GM Ultium tie-up—what really doomed it?Hyundai’s real truck play: A body-on-frame midsize pickup (and maybe an SUV sibling) aimed squarely at Tacoma/Ranger/Colorado. Serious entry or corporate cosplay?308.4 mph EV “speed king”: A Chinese hyper-EV claims the crown over Bugatti. Spectacle, skepticism, and what top-speed arms races mean in an EV era.Ford to demolish the Glass House: Goodbye to 70 years of Dearborn HQ history. Bold evolution—or shredding your family photo albums?Porsche & WEC (rumour watch): Factory program chatter gets wobbly. If endurance racing is marketing, is the spend still worth it in 2025?JLR ransomware shock: One cyberattack freezes production and costs a fortune. Should “cyber-resilience” be a line item on the window sticker?Gearhead palate cleanser: Singer’s new wristwatch—because car culture also lives on our wrists.Got a story we should riff on next time? Drop us a note and we’ll throw it in the ring.
In this episode of The Bucket Seat, we sit down with Ryan Oatman—founder and creative lead of The Kaleidoscope Show—a curated celebration of Porsche where color, place, and people are the whole point. Think gallery meets gathering: rare hues, purposeful venues, and a photo-forward experience where every car is staged like a living art installation.We get into the origin story—why Kaleidoscope was born, how Ryan hand-picks owners and cars (it’s as much about the person as the paint code), and the craft behind turning an event into a canvas. From London’s old cereal factory to Hamilton’s Cotton Factory, we unpack the location scouting, the tape-on-the-ground precision, and why the right grey sky can make colors explode. We also talk partners and tools—how Fujifilm brought a new wave of photographers into the scene, and how Bramo’s QR car profiles add back the missing “owner’s story” at shows.Along the way: the philosophy of driving versus displaying, why some colors just belong on certain shapes, and a spirited detour into manuals, Caymans vs. 911s, and the joy of a 6:30 a.m. back-roads loop.Whether you’re Porsche-obsessed, color-curious, or just into the intersection of cars, culture, and community, this one’s a ride.Topics Include:Kaleidoscope’s DNA: part gallery, part gatheringCurating people and paint: stories over spec sheetsVenue as canvas: staging, light, and why weather can be a giftFujifilm’s role and the 400k-click pop-up (photographers welcome)Bramo QR profiles: bringing the owner’s voice to each carColor theory in metal: why signal yellow sings and mint green needs the right silhouetteThe case for Caymans, manuals, and Saturday-morning drivesWhat’s next for Kaleidoscope (and why “small and intentional” scales best)🎧 Subscribe to The Bucket Seat wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Ryan & Kaleidoscope: @kaleidoscope_show and thekaleidoscopeshow.comHave a guest or topic idea? We’d love to hear it.Host: Trevor ByrneCo-host: Bonar BulgerGuest: Ryan Oatman
In this episode of The Bucket Seat, we sit down with two-time Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and Canadian racing driver Daniel Morad for an open and fascinating conversation about the realities of motorsport—on and off the track.From his early days hustling for sponsorships in karting to standing on the top step at Daytona in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, Dan shares what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels of racing. We dive deep into how sim racing is changing the game and opening doors, the intense preparation (mental and physical) required to reach peak performance, and what it actually feels like to find "flow state" while driving at the limit with everything on the line.We also explore the story behind Moradness, Dan’s lifestyle and performance brand born after his 2017 Daytona win, and how it’s grown into one of the most respected names in sim racing gear.Whether you’re a motorsport fan, a sim racer, or just someone who’s curious about the mindset of elite performers, this episode is packed with insights, stories, and the kind of behind-the-scenes detail you won’t hear anywhere else.Topics Include:Starting young: Karting on a budgetWinning Daytona (twice)What it really takes to drive a GT car at the limitSim racing as a gateway to real motorsportFlow state, performance psychology, and driving “angry”The business of MoradnessBuilding a brand while building a careerParenting, balance, and perspective in a high-speed world🎧 Subscribe to The Bucket Seat wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Daniel Morad:@danielmorad  |  moradness.comLet us know what you think—or who we should have on next.Host: Trevor ByrneCo-host: Bonar BulgerGuest: Daniel Morad
Bonar and Trevor break down some of the biggest stories in the automotive world right now, from BMW’s upcoming G74 SUV and Volvo bidding farewell to its iconic wagons in North America, to Ford’s plans for a $30,000 electric pickup and Jaguar’s ambitious move toward an all-electric lineup.
Rebooting the Ride

Rebooting the Ride

2025-06-1552:44

After a long stretch in the paddock, The Bucket Seat fires back to life. This is Episode 73, but it also feels like Episode 1 of something new.Trevor Byrne sits down with longtime friend, automotive content creator, and Volvo lifer Bonar Bulger for a wide-ranging, slightly nostalgic, occasionally opinionated conversation about what cars meant to us then, what they mean to us now, and why the smell of an old Volvo 240 can still hit you harder than a YouTube review ever could.They cover Bonar’s early days wrenching on a yellow Volvo wagon with duct tape and a Haynes manual, his strange-but-true detour to a U.S. military base in the middle of the Pacific, and why building content for yourself first might be the most honest thing you can do in 2025.There’s also an announcement tucked in at the end — something new for the show, and maybe for the direction it’s headed.This is The Bucket Seat. Let’s get rolling again.
What does it take to drive real change in the automotive world?In this episode of The Bucket Seat, we sit down with Mathew Growden — aka The Change Optimist — to explore the future of mobility through a lens of optimism, systems thinking, and practical transformation.From his work leading electric vehicle strategy at Google to his broader view of how technology, infrastructure, and consumer behaviour intersect, Mathew offers a sharp but hopeful perspective on what’s next for the car world.We dig into:​The real pace of EV adoption (and what’s still holding it back)​The role of software and services in reshaping the ownership experience​How ecosystems — not just products — will define the next decade of mobility​What it means to be a “change optimist” in an industry built on traditionIf you’re into cars, strategy, or just want to hear from someone working on the front lines of transformation, this one’s for you.
Art Cervantes & Lane Skelton introduce us to their new auction site, RAD For Sale.
Brian Makse

Brian Makse

2021-03-3101:28:59

Brian Makse and Trevor Byrne talk auto journalism during Covid, and racing cars.
Enjoy the wonderful lads from @throttlehouse, James and Thomas.  Stay tuned for a new ep every other Wednesday!
On this episode,  I have Benjamin Hunting as my guest.Benjamin is an automotive journalist, and an very impressive one at that. From the pages of Super Street to some of the most detailed pieces of work you’ll read in hagerty classic car, accomplished is an understatement. In conjunction with all of his writing, he is also the co-host of his own weekly podcast with Sami Hag Assad, called The Unnamed Automotive podcast…..and if you have’t listened to it, you should.
In this episode I speak with well known Canadian Drifter, fellow ginger, and extremely nice guy, Riley Sexsmith. He and I discuss how his deep love for automotive began,  life as a pro drifter in Canada, how the pro vs grassroots drift scene shapes up, and what he has in store for 2020.
In this episode I speak to someone I have come to think of as a modern magician…. Sasha Anis is the mastermind behind both mountain pass performance, and on point dyno. I spoke to him nearly two years ago right when he launched MountainPass, an EV oriented performance company  with a deep rooted history in motorsport.You’ll hear stories of Sasha’s exploits in racing with his lightning fast Model 3, his groundbreaking build of a hybrid race car and its mission to set Mosport lap records, and how he sees the electrified future of automotive shaping up.
I'm bringing you an episode I recorded back in late summer of 2019, with a group of amazing individuals from a company named LBI Limited.  These guys are really the shining example of what most of us car nuts have always wanted to do, but never did..... and Adolfo and Keith from LBI are the ones that for over a decade, have been hunting down and selling some of the most incredible vehicles in north america. I was lucky enough to have sat down at their stunning facility in Pontiac Michigan to have this chat, and as you'll hear, it was during a party they were throwing for none other than, Radwood Detroit.  The place was buzzing with car nerdery and particularity of the 80's and 90's vintage era.... it was epic in many ways.
It’s episode 63, and long time friend Laurance Yap is back on the show. He’s here this time to share a glimpse into the fascinating world of current day IMSA racing.  If you don’t know what IMSa stands for, listen in to the first moments of the show and you’ll have your answer. I'’m really lucky to have someone like Laurance continue to share some of his experiences with us all. The education continues in this episode.
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