If the kids hog the TV and computers and your partner never puts down the ipad, dont worry fellow petrolhead, theres still hope. As we creep past the 3rd weekend behind 4 walls, here are some motoring channels you can binge on while on YouTube. Be warned you are going to kill tonnes of hours going through these contents
Top Gear
Whats a YouTube motoring special list without the classic? It may have been nearly 5 years since lead presenter Jeremy Clarkson was fired from the show, with James May and Richard Hammod leaving soon after, but since 2002 this ‘pokey motoring show’ from the UK revolutionized how we looked at a show essentially talking about cars. They’ve raced hypercars with jets, grand tourers with speed boats and even created their very own space shuttle. Not to mention the shenanigans with the mysterious tame racing driver, the Stig. Not to mention their spin-offs in Australia and America. Those were equally good shows. And proof that all good things come to an end
Fifth Gear
ShootoutsIt was kind of how Top Gear used to be before the 2002 rebranding. But with the main presenters being actual race car drivers and they settle most of their tests on a track shootout, you get to see how cars actually behave on the track being driven by proper drivers. Think of it like going straight to the Stig’s hotlap, only this time you get a feedback. Some of the head to head include challenges like drifting, autocross and others, and you get a good reference material if you’re thinking about buying or fantasizing a performance car.
Best Motoring Circuit Shootouts
Its like the Fifth Gear shootouts, only difference is this time you have a grid full of quirky cars going out at each other. They pit cars that dont normally compete with each other with everyone from D1 to Japan GT drivers. And they place the cars in a reverse order so the slowest cars start first. Where else can you find a shootout where an Evo, Porsche and Lambo goes head to head by racing drivers. Not only do you get to see limited edition JDM cars go head to head with some of the rarest supercars from different era’s, the actual racing action is pretty sweet too. Like this video here, see how drift king Keiichi Tscuhiya drifts an M5 to block the rest of the field to maintain the lead.
Best Motoring Hot Version
While the circuit shootout features predominantly stock cars, the Hot Version action takes place in a Japanese country road we fondly know as the Touge. Here there are not run off areas, or crash barriers (mostly), but the drivers do not take it any easy. Its like real life Initial D, only difference is there are real world consequences. Enjoy!
VisioRacerIf you like lists and trivia’s this is the channel for you. They compile every conceivable list for everything from cars, bikes, to trucks. And their pretty extensive on their info too. This channel is like Top Trumps cards coming alive. Or if you’re above the age of 35 you can use this channel to explain to your nephews, nieces, kids or millennial interns what Top Trump cards were.
VisioRacer
If you like lists and trivia’s this is the channel for you. They compile every conceivable list for everything from cars, bikes, to trucks. And their pretty extensive on their info too. This channel is like Top Trumps cards coming alive. Or if you’re above the age of 35 you can use this channel to explain to your nephews, nieces, kids or millennial interns what Top Trump cards were.
Petrolicious
Its strictly for dreamers. Its a compilation of amazing cars and extraordinary stories from around the world, captured in a breathtaking manner with a timeless story. These are no garage queens, these cars are driven by their owners and driven well. If you do not reach to any online classifieds sites for cars after a couple of videos from this channel you are not a motoring enthusiasts.
Doug DeMuro
You may love him, you may hate him, but you cannot disagree that this guy covers some pretty amazing car. We would suggest you skip the part of his on road report. But the walkaround process is right on the money. The cars Doug gets his hands on is the reason why you check out his channel. Where else are you going to get a detailed review of a Vector, Saleen or the LM002?
RegularCarReviews
Its as peculiar as a car review can get. If you need a very left wing perspective, which mostly involves references from ‘Murica, then this channel is going to provide you with thousands of minutes of entertainment. Not to mention a catchy theme songs at the front. This is not a buyers guide channel, or not a stats driven place. But for peculiar motoring related observations this is YouTube gold.
Hashrulsubzero
Speaking of gold, this channel has an extensive compilation of footages from the Malaysian Rally as far back as the early 90’s. A rally driver himself, the channel owner has salvaged his dad’s old VHS footage and populated this channel with hours of amazing rally action! You get to see Malaysian legends like Saladin Mazlan, Henry Yap, Jimmy Low, Aminuddin Omar, and of course Karamjit Singh set our local rally stages on fire. Best of all you get to see how a Perodua Kancil debuted as a rally car, how the Wira dominated the rally (2wd and 4wd) and of course, one of the very few footage of an actual Group S car in action. FYI Group S is a category of car more extreme than the Group B and the PERT Iswara 4WD Turbo was a Group S car. Malaysia Boleh!
Engineering Explained
From entertainment to infotainment, this channel is more like a tutorial session in an engineering course. If you need to make sense about any tech in a car, be it an overview or in depth, this channel has the right type of content for you. The downside is sometimes the content can be very serious. Having said that at then end of the video you will have enough technical knowledge to call your local mechanic’s bluff the next time you bring your car to him. That’s worth investing those lockdown hours in.
TaxTheRich100
Its like Ken Blocks Gymkhanna videos, but with ultra exotics. Where else are you going to see a tug-o-war between two (TWO) Ferrari F50’s, an Enzo being driven like a rally car or Rolls Royce going fully sideways on a field. Yes, our jaws dropped too the first time we saw this havoc. There’s not alot of videos in this channel or are they too long. But they are perfect to company you with your morning coffee.
Video Option
While best motoring is more of a review show, Video Options is where its at when it comes to pushing boundaries. It may be presented in Japanese only, but with a little bit of guesswork you can figure out what’s going on. Not to mention plenty of time attack, drifting and every other motoring challenges conceivable under the sun.
AutoTopNL
If you were ever curious to how hard a car of your liking accelerates in the real world all the way to its top speed, this is the channel for you. Everything from diesel Jaguar’s, Electric Porsche’s, modded Golf’s and if course, performance cars. Happy drooling and keep in mind the all-time low fuel prices and the all-time empty roads when you watch this video. Also, STAY AT HOME!
DragtimesInfo
You know all those 600 bhp C Class, 700bhp X6 SUV’s, and those 1000bhp GTRs, how do they actually compare on an actual head to head. This is the channel for you to quench that curiosity. Search for that Unlim 500+ playlist and you will see precisely that. See how mega powered cars struggle at the launch and completely obliterate its opponents once it gets traction. And you can never guess which car would ultimately win as lots of factors and not just horsepower governs the victory.
Route Hunters Malaysia
C’mon we list so many channels here and fail to mention ours? But its not just self promotion, this is the only channel where we document the best driving roads, with POI’s and a food destination. Also performance cars are tested with the help of the one and only, multiple Malaysian Rally Champion and 2002 World Rally Champion (Production Class) Karamjit Singh himself. Plus in our later videos we list the actual maintenance cost you will incure in the ownership period of a car.
These channels should give you enough time to enrich yourself on motoring knowhow, and entertain you during the lockdown period. Hopefully these content’s will help you stay indoors and helps us get through this difficult time. Stay safe all!