Rod Chong – Need for Speed, Speedhunters & The Art of Car Culture

Rod Chong is a creative director and automotive cultural icon whose career spans music videos, video games, and real-world car culture. In this episode, Sam explores Rod’s journey from directing rock music videos to co-founding Speedhunters, leading creative direction on Need for Speed and Project CARS, and building cutting-edge car experiences at Race Service with brands like Ferrari and Porsche. It’s a deep dive into racing games, car culture storytelling, and the art of blending virtual and real motorsport.

Enjoy

Show Notes:

00:00 – Why Loving the Creative Process Matters
02:12 – From Drawing Cars to Directing Culture
06:04 – Making Need for Speed and Project CARS
19:08 – Inside Roborace: Autonomous Racing at Speed
24:46 – The Hard Truth About Game Development
32:11 – Track Days, Sim Rigs, and Getting Serious
39:07 – How Speedhunters Changed Car Media
44:11 – Race Service, F1 Clients, and Global Collabs
49:25 – From Street Car to Hot Wheels Diecast
51:48 – Building a Street-Legal Porsche 935
56:42 – Running Canyons with a Built Cayman
01:01:38 – Best Drives, Future Builds, and Dream Garage

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