Top 25 Most Influential Automotive Creators in 2026

Top 25 Most Influential Automotive Creators in 2026

Subscriber counts lie. A channel with 22 million subscribers that pulls 6,500 views on its latest upload is not more influential than one with 5 million subscribers averaging a million views per video. That distinction is the foundation of this list — and it's why you'll find one of the biggest names in automotive YouTube history in the runner-up section rather than the top 25.

Last year we published our first Top 25 list. In the twelve months since, private equity gutted one of the most beloved channels on the platform, a YouTuber debuted in NASCAR, a self-taught mechanic from Leicester nearly quadrupled his subscriber count, and several channels we ranked highly turned out to be coasting on dead audiences. This year's methodology goes deeper: engagement rates, views-per-video relative to subscriber counts, comment activity, growth trajectories, and cross-creator validation — who's collaborating with whom, who's getting press access from automakers, who's being invited to major motorsport events. Every returning creator's rank movement from 2025 is tracked. Several legacy names have been dropped. Several newcomers have earned spots. Here's where automotive influence actually lives in 2026.

The Rankings

1. carwow (Mat Watson) — ↑6 from #7

Mat Watson and his UK-based team have built the single most-watched car review operation on YouTube. The channel crossed 11 million subscribers in 2026, driven by an addictive formula of multi-car drag races, consumer-focused reviews, and production quality that rivals broadcast television. The U.S. audience share continues to climb, and automakers now treat carwow as a required stop on their press launch circuits.

Market: New car reviews and performance shootouts. The signature drag races — supercars vs. electric sedans, sports bikes vs. hypercars — serve as the viral engine, while practical buyer's guides and comparison tests round out the catalog.

Controversies: Remarkably clean. Tesla fans occasionally object when their car loses a drag race, but Mat addresses criticism with data and transparency. The format's biggest problem is that it's so successful half of car YouTube has attempted to copy it.

Why they appeal: Mat's presenting style is sharp, self-deprecating, and deeply knowledgeable without feeling inaccessible. The drag race format is endlessly rewatchable, and his willingness to put prestige cars through genuinely demanding tests gives viewers something no manufacturer press release can offer. carwow has added roughly 3 million subscribers since the 2025 list.

Audience: Approximately 11 million YouTube subscribers on the main English-language channel, with additional millions across regional spin-offs. Instagram around 2 million, with a growing TikTok presence. Trend: rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook • X • Official Site

2. ChrisFix — ↑1 from #3

The anonymous New Jersey mechanic crossed 11 million YouTube subscribers in 2026, a staggering number for a channel built entirely on step-by-step repair tutorials. ChrisFix doesn't do drama, doesn't show his face, and doesn't chase trends. He teaches people how to fix their cars, and the audience keeps growing because the content is genuinely, permanently useful. His invitation to race at Cleetus McFarland's Freedom 500 alongside NASCAR veterans signals deep peer respect — you don't get that invitation without having earned it.

Market: DIY automotive repair. Brake jobs, oil changes, engine swaps, headlight restoration — if it can be fixed in a driveway, there's a ChrisFix video for it.

Controversies: None. ChrisFix is the least controversial figure on YouTube. Family-friendly, brand-neutral, and focused purely on education.

Why he appeals: ChrisFix made auto repair approachable for an entire generation. His camera work is deliberately instructional, his narration is clear, and even complex jobs feel achievable when he walks through them. The evergreen nature of the content means videos from five years ago still accumulate hundreds of thousands of monthly views — a library that compounds in value over time.

Audience: Over 11.1 million YouTube subscribers, cumulative views approaching 2 billion. TikTok around 2.5 million, Instagram 1.7 million. Trend: rising, remarkably consistent for a channel this large.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook • X

3. WhistlinDiesel (Cody Detwiler) — ↑3 from #6

Cody Detwiler is bigger than ever. With subscriber numbers pushing toward 8.5 million on YouTube, engagement metrics that consistently outperform channels twice his size, and content that routinely breaks the algorithm, WhistlinDiesel has proven that shock value paired with genuine charisma and increasingly sophisticated production is a durable formula. He raced at the Freedom 500 alongside NASCAR legends, cementing his crossover status with the motorsport establishment.

Market: Extreme vehicle destruction, stunt content, and heavy equipment mayhem. Trucks, supercars, boats, and heavy machinery subjected to scenarios that would make an insurance adjuster quit on the spot. The content has evolved from pure chaos into something closer to "what happens when you actually test these machines to failure," which gives it a thin veneer of scientific inquiry.

Controversies: Multiple TikTok bans, legal issues from driving in protected waters, ongoing criticism for destroying rare machines. He survived a serious accident several years ago, which paradoxically reinforced his reputation.

Why he appeals: Cody represents the part of car culture that genuinely doesn't care about preserving resale value. His candid, unapologetic personality is the core draw — you're watching someone who doesn't care what you think, and that's rare on a platform dominated by algorithm-chasing.

Audience: Approximately 8.5 million YouTube subscribers, 3 million on Instagram, and a large TikTok following. Total reach exceeds 12 million. Trend: rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook

4. Scotty Kilmer — ↓2 from #2

At 72 years old, Scotty Kilmer still uploads daily, still films handheld in his driveway, and still tells you which cars are money pits without a shred of hesitation. His 6.6 million subscribers and 3.1 billion lifetime views make him one of the most-watched individual automotive channels in America.

Market: DIY auto repair advice and consumer guidance. Quick-hit videos on which cars to buy, which to avoid, and how to handle common repairs, delivered with heavy skepticism toward manufacturers.

Controversies: Clickbait-heavy titles and strong brand biases — he loves Toyotas, distrusts nearly everything German — draw regular criticism. His "never buy a [brand]" videos reliably generate comment-section warfare. No personal scandals.

Why he appeals: Scotty speaks to the average car owner. He's the neighbor who knows everything about cars and will tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not. Fifty-seven years of hands-on experience lend genuine credibility, and his chaotic energy makes routine maintenance advice genuinely entertaining.

Audience: Roughly 6.6 million YouTube subscribers with over 3.1 billion total views, plus a Facebook following near 2 million. Trend: stable. Daily uploads keep engagement consistent, though growth has flattened.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook • X

5. Cleetus McFarland (Garrett Mitchell) — ↑9 from #14

The biggest mover on this year's list. Garrett Mitchell debuted in the ARCA Menards Series at Daytona in 2025, graduated to testing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026 with Richard Childress Racing, and bought a private airport in Manatee County, Florida. He collaborated with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who drove one of Cleetus's twin-turbo 1,500-horsepower custom builds at Talladega and was, by all accounts, grinning the entire time. His Freedom 500 event has become the unofficial automotive YouTube all-star game, drawing NASCAR Hall of Famers, Travis Pastrana, ChrisFix, WhistlinDiesel, and Westen Champlin.

Market: American muscle, drag racing, and large-scale automotive events. Content spans building wild project cars (Leroy the Corvette, Mullet the El Camino) to hosting massive fan events at Freedom Factory. The NASCAR career gives the channel a crossover appeal that pure YouTube creators rarely achieve.

Controversies: Remarkably few. Noise complaints near Freedom Factory were handled diplomatically. Some "influencer buying a seat" criticism from the NASCAR world has been quieted by competitive results: a second-place ARCA finish at Talladega and a 12th-place Truck Series start at Daytona.

Why he appeals: Cleetus is the automotive everyman who made it — built a drag car in his buddy's garage, ended up racing alongside NASCAR legends. The authenticity is impossible to fake. His events foster genuine community, and the NASCAR pivot adds a dimension of legitimacy that strengthens the entire brand.

Audience: Over 4.6 million YouTube subscribers with 2.13 billion total views, combined social media reach approaching 3 million on Instagram across branded and personal accounts. Trend: rising fast, with the NASCAR crossover drawing in traditional motorsports fans.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Facebook • Official Site

6. Mat Armstrong — NEW (Runner-up in 2025)

The single biggest breakout story in automotive YouTube this year. This 32-year-old self-taught mechanic from Leicester went from roughly 1.3 million subscribers at the time of the 2025 list to over 5 million on his main channel by mid-2026. Combined channels (including Mat Armstrong MK2 and Mat Armstrong Shorts) approach 10 million. He gained 590,000 subscribers in a 10-week stretch in early 2026 alone. A former professional BMX rider, Mat pivoted to automotive content during the pandemic by buying and rebuilding a crashed Bentley Continental GT and has never looked back.

Market: Salvage car rebuilding. Mat buys crashed, written-off luxury and performance cars at auction and documents every step of the restoration. Projects have included Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, and McLarens. He works from his own workshop in Leicester alongside his partner Hannah and a small team, and is refreshingly transparent about costs.

Controversies: None of substance. Rapid success attracts the inevitable envy from smaller channels, but Mat stays firmly out of drama.

Why he appeals: The cars are exotic, but the setting is unglamorous — a workshop in the Midlands, not a Dubai megagarage. His willingness to show failures alongside successes, combined with the slow-burn narrative structure of each rebuild series, keeps viewers returning episode after episode.

Audience: Over 5 million on the main YouTube channel, combined channels approaching 10 million. Instagram around 500K, Facebook around 400K, both climbing rapidly. Trend: unambiguously rising. One of the fastest-growing automotive creators on the planet.

Links: YouTube • Instagram

7. CboysTV — NEW

A group of friends from Cormorant, Minnesota turned their backyard motorsports obsession into one of the biggest automotive channels on YouTube. The CboysTV crew — CJ Lotzer, Ben Roth, Ryan Iwerks, Grant "Big Ken" Matthees, and others — blends motorsports, comedy, and outdoor lifestyle in a way that feels genuinely Midwestern. They launched a premium merchandise brand, "LWO Gear," in late 2025 and are co-hosting the inaugural Octane Autofest at Brainerd International Raceway in June 2026 alongside pro drifter Chris Forsberg.

Market: Motorsports entertainment with comedy and outdoor adventure. Dirtbike stunts, truck pulls, snowmobile races, drift sessions, and increasingly ambitious builds. Their motto, "Life Wide Open," captures the ethos.

Controversies: None. High-energy content that avoids destruction for destruction's sake. No scandals, no feuds.

Why they appeal: These are genuinely close friends doing genuinely fun things with vehicles, and the joy is contagious. Their "participation over perfection" ethos sets them apart from the hyper-polished corners of the creator ecosystem.

Audience: Over 5.26 million YouTube subscribers, 2.1 billion total views, averaging 83,000 likes per video. They gained 80,000 subscribers in two months of early 2026. Trend: rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Site

8. Westen Champlin — NEW

The Kansas-based diesel truck builder and self-described practitioner of "Redneck Science" has surged from relative obscurity into the upper tier of automotive YouTube. Over 5.25 million subscribers, an average of 101,000 likes per video, and a monthly subscriber growth rate of 1.09% that analytics platforms flag as healthy. His invitation to race at Cleetus McFarland's Freedom 500 places him firmly in the inner circle of automotive YouTube's most respected creators.

Market: Diesel truck builds, vehicle restorations, and absurd automotive experiments. Highlights include a Cummins-swapped Ford Mustang, a supercharged 1968 Dodge Charger, and an LS-swapped Ford Ranger. He also runs a podcast channel with 360K+ subscribers.

Controversies: None significant. The "redneck" branding is worn with self-aware humor rather than political edge.

Why he appeals: Westen fills a gap for viewers who want big, ambitious builds without pretense. Production quality has improved dramatically over the past two years without losing the grassroots energy that built the audience in the first place.

Audience: Over 5.25 million YouTube subscribers, roughly 600 million total views. Instagram exceeds 3 million, TikTok adds several million more. Cross-platform audience likely exceeds 11 million. Trend: firmly rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok

9. Doug DeMuro — ↓5 from #4

Doug remains beloved, but 2026 has been a year of stagnation rather than growth. His YouTube subscriber count sits at 5.07 million with 2.4 billion total views, and analytics platforms describe the growth rate as "Could be improved." Earnings are trending downward. The formula hasn't changed because it doesn't need to, but the ceiling appears to have been reached for now.

Market: Quirky, detail-obsessed car reviews anchored by the DougScore rating system. He also continues running Cars & Bids, the enthusiast-focused auction platform he founded in 2020, which has become a legitimate player in the online car sales space after landing $37 million in PE funding.

Controversies: None. Doug's biggest recurring debate is fans arguing over his DougScore methodology.

Why he appeals: His enthusiasm for the obscure details of every car is infectious. Reviews feel like spending time with the most knowledgeable car person you know. Cars & Bids adds industry weight beyond pure content creation — he's building infrastructure for the enthusiast market, not just making videos about it.

Audience: About 5.07 million YouTube subscribers with 2.4 billion total views. Trend: stable but flat.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • X • Cars & Bids

10. Hoonigan — ↓1 from #9

Three years removed from Ken Block's passing, and now navigating private equity ownership concerns that mirror those affecting sister channel Donut Media. The brand still delivers adrenaline, but talent retention and creative direction remain open questions heading into the back half of 2026.

Market: Extreme motorsports, drifting, drag racing, and custom builds. "This vs That," the Gymkhana franchise, and garage content continue. Travis Pastrana has stepped up for Gymkhana entries.

Controversies: PE ownership concerns dominate the conversation. Ken Block's absence is deeply felt, and every new piece of content is measured against what came before. The comparison isn't always favorable.

Why they still appeal: Hoonigan at its best is pure automotive adrenaline. The Gymkhana entries are cinematically produced, the garage content is raw and approachable, and the brand represents a genuine subculture — fans wear the merch as identity, not advertising.

Audience: Approximately 5 million YouTube subscribers, 3 million on Instagram. Trend: stable but at risk.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Official Site

11. Hagerty — NEW (Runner-up in 2025)

The classic car insurer's media arm has grown into one of the most respected content operations in the automotive space. Hagerty crossed 3.76 million YouTube subscribers with 785 million total views, launched a 24/7 FAST channel on Prime Video in February 2026, and Jason Cammisa's "Icons" series has won multiple Telly Awards. This is no longer a side project.

Market: Classic car culture, enthusiast storytelling, and automotive history. "Barn Find Hunter" with Tom Cotter, "Icons" and "Know It All" with Jason Cammisa, "Redline Rebuild" engine restorations, and Henry Catchpole's "The Driver's Seat." Content spans collector cars to modern performance machines, all with broadcast-quality production.

Controversies: None. Hagerty's content is universally respected for journalistic quality. If anything, the criticism is that it's almost too polished for YouTube.

Why they appeal: Hagerty fills the void left by traditional automotive media. Cammisa in particular has become one of the most respected voices in automotive journalism since leaving MotorTrend. The breadth of programming means there's something for every type of enthusiast, from barn-find treasure hunters to data-obsessed performance fans.

Audience: Over 3.76 million YouTube subscribers, 785 million total views, now also streaming on Prime Video. Trend: rising, boosted by the streaming expansion and award-winning programming.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Site

12. HeavyDSparks (Dave Sparks) — ↑9 from #21

Dave "Heavy D" Sparks has fully transitioned from Discovery Channel's Diesel Brothers into a digital-first creator with a combined YouTube and Instagram reach exceeding 8 million. Content has diversified beyond diesel trucks into aviation, community rescue operations, and large-scale vehicle giveaways. He's part of the Cleetus McFarland orbit, frequently collaborating and appearing at Freedom Factory events.

Market: Diesel trucks, off-roading, vehicular rescues, and heavy equipment. Building monster trucks, overlanding adventures, recovering sunken equipment. A Spanish-language channel broadens international reach.

Controversies: The 2019 Clean Air Act fines remain the biggest blemish on his record. Since then, he's been careful to operate within legal limits on public builds.

Why he appeals: High production value from his TV background, combined with a genuine feel-good streak that distinguishes him from the destruction-oriented end of the spectrum. Rescue operations during natural disasters have earned respect well beyond the automotive community.

Audience: Approximately 4.3 million YouTube subscribers and 4 million on Instagram. Trend: stable to rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Facebook • X

13. Adam LZ (Adam Lizotte-Zeisler) — (unchanged)

Adam holds steady as one of the rare creators who's both a legitimate professional athlete and a top-tier content producer. He competes in Formula Drift while running one of the best build-and-drift channels on YouTube. His LZ Compound in Florida functions as both content studio and private drift facility, giving him an infrastructure advantage few creators can match.

Market: Drifting, JDM builds, and behind-the-scenes motorsport vlogging. High-horsepower Nissan Silvias, rotary Mazdas, and Formula Drift competition footage.

Controversies: Stays out of drama. His Formula Drift credentials were initially questioned by skeptics; those questions stopped after his first event win in 2023.

Why he appeals: Adam bridges YouTube creator and real-world motorsport competitor more convincingly than anyone else on this list. Build videos are educational, competition footage is thrilling, and the vlog format keeps it personal.

Audience: Around 3.9 million YouTube subscribers, 1.8 million on Instagram. Trend: stable with steady growth.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook • X

14. Throttle House (Thomas Holland & James Engelsman) — ↑10 from #24

The Canadian duo's continued rise is one of the most satisfying stories on this list. Now at 3.39 million subscribers with a 3.41% engagement rate — among the best in automotive reviews at their scale. Recent Ferrari 12 Cilindri and BMW M2 CS reviews each cleared a million views within weeks of upload. They're now regularly mentioned alongside carwow and legacy outlets when automakers distribute press cars, which is the most meaningful third-party validation available.

Market: Enthusiast-grade new car reviews with cinematic production. Head-to-head comparisons on track and scenic roads, plus project-car content and challenge videos.

Controversies: Zero. Arguably the most universally liked presenting duo in automotive YouTube.

Why they appeal: Throttle House fills the void left by peak-era Top Gear more convincingly than anyone currently making content. Excellent cinematography, substantive analysis, and genuine on-screen chemistry between Thomas (excitable Canadian) and James (droll Brit) that can't be manufactured.

Audience: About 3.39 million YouTube subscribers, 250K on Instagram. View counts consistently land between 500K and 1.5 million per upload. Trend: rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Facebook • Official Site

15. Forrest's Auto Reviews (Forrest Jones) — NEW

Forrest Jones built something unusual: a car review channel that feels like a dealership walkaround hosted by someone who actually loves cars. At roughly 3.5 million YouTube subscribers and 1.9 million Instagram followers with a 7.14% Instagram engagement rate (well above the platform average), he's connecting with a buyer-intent audience in a way most reviewers don't.

Market: Comprehensive new car reviews aimed at real buyers. Covers affordable cars, luxury models, and exotics with equal depth. His background as a former car salesperson means he understands what customers actually want to know before signing.

Controversies: None. Aggressively positive and buyer-focused content with no drama.

Why he appeals: Forrest's enthusiasm is clearly unscripted. His reviews run longer and more detailed than most, attracting viewers who are actually cross-shopping vehicles rather than watching purely for entertainment.

Audience: Approximately 3.5 million YouTube subscribers, 1.9 million on Instagram. Cross-platform reach approaches 7 million. Trend: rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram

16. Daily Driven Exotics (Damon Fryer & Dave Coulter) — (unchanged from #16)

DDE maintains a solid, engaged audience with a 4.64% engagement rate and 4.2 million subscribers. The rebellious approach to supercar ownership continues from their new base in Compton, California, though earnings are trending downward and growth has slowed.

Market: Modified supercars, street driving, rally events, and custom builds. Lamborghinis, McLarens, and Ferraris with loud exhausts and wild modifications.

Controversies: Law enforcement encounters remain semi-regular. The 2019 Vehicle Virgins feud is ancient history. The "bad boy" image occasionally draws criticism for glorifying unsafe driving.

Why they appeal: DDE offers the fantasy of supercar ownership without kid gloves. The chemistry between Damon and Dave creates a reality-TV dynamic that keeps viewers coming back regardless of which car is featured.

Audience: Over 4.2 million YouTube subscribers, roughly 1 million on Instagram. Engagement is authentic but earnings are trending downward. Trend: stable.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • X

17. Mighty Car Mods (Marty & Moog) — ↑2 from #19

The Australian originals of DIY car YouTube. Fifteen-plus years of continuous content, and still among the most respected names in the space. Growth has naturally slowed at this stage of a channel's lifecycle, but the quality, the ethos, and the production values remain unmatched in the DIY category. Moog scores original music for every episode. The cinematography is often film-grade. They were doing this before it was cool, and they're still doing it better than most.

Market: DIY tuning and modifications, with a focus on relatable project cars — frequently Japanese imports and hatchbacks. Their cinematic short films and international road-trip specials elevate typical garage content into something closer to automotive documentary.

Controversies: Virtually none, ever. MCM is the wholesome center of car YouTube.

Why they appeal: Mighty Car Mods champions the idea that car culture isn't about how much you spend — it's about what you do with what you have. For a significant share of their global fanbase, MCM is the channel that first made cars interesting.

Audience: About 4 million YouTube subscribers, 729K on Instagram. Trend: stable, with deeply loyal viewership.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Site

18. Tavarish (Freddy Hernandez) — (unchanged from #18)

The ongoing McLaren P1 rebuild — pulled from Hurricane Ian floodwaters in a state most would consider beyond saving — continues to keep audiences hooked episode by episode. Freddy's Car Trek collaborations with Ed Bolian and Tyler Hoover add a social dimension that pure build channels rarely achieve.

Market: Exotic car salvage rebuilds and collaborative challenge content (Car Trek). Every project is a narrative with genuine stakes and setbacks, not a highlight reel.

Controversies: None. Transparent about costs, timelines, and failures. The 2019 garage fire that destroyed a Fast & Furious replica Lamborghini remains his most dramatic incident, handled with characteristic honesty.

Why he appeals: Tavarish embodies the idea that no car is beyond saving. Watching him bring basket-case supercars back from the dead is deeply satisfying long-form storytelling with real mechanical stakes at every turn.

Audience: About 3.5 million YouTube subscribers, 400K on Instagram. Trend: stable to slightly rising, buoyed by the P1 project's ongoing arc.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • X

19. Engineering Explained (Jason Fenske) — ↓2 from #17

Jason Fenske remains the definitive technical educator in automotive YouTube. His whiteboard-and-data approach to explaining everything from turbocharger mechanics to EV battery chemistry has educated millions. That said, growth is flat, and he's waded into more opinionated territory in recent years — particularly around EV policy debates — which has diluted some of the pure-education appeal that built his audience.

Market: Educational content focused on the engineering and physics behind automotive technology. Turbochargers, tire science, oil comparisons, EV tech. Always data-driven, though increasingly editorialized.

Controversies: None in the traditional sense, though more opinionated takes on EVs and industry policy have divided viewers who preferred the purely technical approach.

Why he appeals: Nobody else answers "why does this work?" at this depth and rigour. His videos have a timeless quality — an explainer on how differentials work is as relevant now as when it was first uploaded. Automaker partnerships for deep-dive content keep him visible during new model releases.

Audience: About 4 million YouTube subscribers with over 500 million cumulative views. Trend: stable but flat. No obvious growth catalyst, and the more opinionated pivot hasn't expanded the audience.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Facebook • X

20. Emelia Hartford — ↑2 from #22

One of the most multi-talented figures in automotive content. She builds high-horsepower machines, competes in drag racing, and acts in Hollywood — including the 2023 Gran Turismo film. Her multi-platform presence is stronger than her YouTube number alone would suggest, and she represents something the automotive creator space badly needs: a woman who's credible in the garage, on the strip, and in front of the camera simultaneously.

Market: High-performance builds, drag racing, and cross-platform content spanning automotive and entertainment media. Her C8 Corvette world-record project and twin-turbo R8 build remain signature content.

Controversies: None significant. She responds to the usual online skepticism facing women in automotive spaces by outperforming on the track and in the shop — the most effective counter available.

Why she appeals: Emelia wrenches on camera, sets records at the strip, and brings technical credibility that shuts down critics. Her entertainment-industry crossover expands her audience well beyond the typical car YouTube viewer.

Audience: About 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, 2.3 million on Instagram, 1.7 million on TikTok. Total cross-platform reach exceeds 6 million. Trend: stable to rising.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • X

21. Donut Media — ↓16 from #5

The cautionary tale of 2026. Donut still has over 9 million subscribers, but the soul of the channel walked out the door in the summer of 2024. Jeremiah Burton and Zach Jobe left in June to start BigTime. James Pumphrey — the creative heart behind "Up to Speed" and the most recognizable face in car YouTube meme culture — departed in August to launch Speeed. The exits are widely attributed to creative frustration under private equity ownership. New hosts Alex Werner and Nelson Ireson have been brought in, but the audience has noticed. The content quality has dropped, and the comment sections tell the story plainly.

Market: Broad automotive entertainment and education. The channel continues producing content, but the identity crisis is visible. The catchphrases and energy that defined peak Donut — "MO POWA BABY!" — now live on other channels.

Controversies: The host departures are the controversy. The pattern of talent fleeing PE-owned car channels (Donut, Hoonigan, CarThrottle) has become a widely discussed cautionary tale in the creator economy, covered extensively by The Autopian and others.

Why they still rank: Nine million subscribers remains an enormous platform, and the back catalog of "Up to Speed," "Science Garage," and challenge episodes continues to generate views. But ranking at #21 reflects where the channel is now, not where it was.

Audience: Roughly 9.17 million YouTube subscribers, 2 million on Instagram. Trend: declining. Engagement and cultural relevance have dropped significantly since the 2024 departures.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • TikTok • Facebook • X

22. Shmee150 (Tim Burton) — ↓7 from #15

Tim Burton's prolific output continues (5,400+ videos and counting), and his engagement rate of 3.12% is rated "Good" by analytics platforms. But growth has slowed to 0.17% monthly, and the supercar-spotting niche is harder to expand in 2026 than it was a decade ago. Tim's personal collection — including a Ford GT, McLaren Senna, and Zenvo TSR-S — and his "Shmuseum" storage facility remain genuinely impressive, but the format hasn't evolved enough to compete with rising channels.

Market: Luxury and exotic car reviews, manufacturer visits, rally events, and collection documentation. Tim's focus is firmly on the high end of the market.

Controversies: None. Consistently professional. Some critics read his relentless positivity as a lack of objectivity; his fans accept it as part of the package.

Why he appeals: Consistency and access. Shmee attends every major car event, covers vehicles most viewers will never see in person, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the segment is genuine.

Audience: About 2.87 million YouTube subscribers, 2 million on Instagram, 3.1 million on Facebook. Engagement is good, but growth is slow. Trend: stable.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Site

23. Goonzquad (Simeon & Eleazar) — (unchanged from #23)

The Chattanooga brothers continue buying wrecked vehicles at salvage auctions and rebuilding them at home. Wholesome energy, self-taught approach, and consistently strong per-video engagement — million-view build episodes are common.

Market: Salvage rebuilds with a family-friendly DIY approach. GT-Rs, Ferraris, Corvettes, trucks, and even a helicopter have all gone through the shop.

Controversies: None. About as family-friendly as automotive YouTube gets.

Why they appeal: Infectious enthusiasm and a "learn as we go" approach makes complex rebuilds feel achievable. The sibling dynamic adds genuine warmth that's hard to manufacture.

Audience: About 2.7 million YouTube subscribers with strong per-video engagement. Trend: stable.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Store

24. Hoovies Garage (Tyler Hoover) — ↓4 from #20

Tyler Hoover, the self-proclaimed "Dumbest Automotive YouTuber," continues documenting the financial and mechanical adventures of buying cheap luxury cars that were never meant to be cheap. His Car Trek series with Tavarish and Ed Bolian adds collaborative dimension and cross-audience exposure. At 1.5 million subscribers — the smallest audience on this list — his engagement-per-viewer ratio and cultural footprint in the enthusiast community justify the spot regardless.

Market: Used car buying, long-term ownership costs, and the reality of bargain luxury vehicles. Every repair bill is shared with the audience, which is both the format and the joke.

Controversies: Minimal. Tyler lets the cars provide the conflict.

Why he appeals: The reality check that balances aspirational supercar channels. Self-deprecating humor and cost transparency create genuinely useful, entertaining content for anyone who's ever been tempted by a cheap $15,000 used Maserati.

Audience: About 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. Trend: stable. Smallest on the list but a durable, deeply engaged niche.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • X

25. Jay Leno's Garage — ↓13 from #12

A significant drop, but the channel earns its place at the bottom of the list on the strength of unmatched collection access and automotive knowledge that nobody else on YouTube can replicate. Content output has slowed following Jay's 2022 burn injuries and 2023 motorcycle crash, and CNBC canceled the TV version of the show. But the back catalog remains popular, and new features still appear periodically. Nobody else on YouTube can casually pull a 1906 Stanley Steamer out of their garage and explain its engineering with genuine authority.

Market: Classic cars, vintage motorcycles, and modern supercars. Automotive history powered by Jay's personal collection of 180+ cars and 160+ motorcycles.

Controversies: None in the automotive space. His garage accidents generated media attention but were not caused by any wrongdoing.

Why he appeals: Jay brings encyclopedic knowledge, genuine enthusiasm, and comedic timing that makes niche automotive history accessible to a broad audience. Nobody else has this collection, this access, or this combination of experience.

Audience: About 3.9 million YouTube subscribers. Facebook and Instagram add roughly 3 million more. Trend: declining in new content output, though library views remain strong.

Links: YouTube • Instagram • Official Site

Winners and Losers of 2026

Biggest Winners

Cleetus McFarland (↑9) had the best year of anyone on this list. NASCAR racing across three series, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. collaboration at Talladega, a private airport in Manatee County, the Freedom 500 evolving into the automotive YouTube all-star game, and continued subscriber growth across the board.

Mat Armstrong (NEW, #6) went from runner-up to top 10 by nearly quadrupling his subscriber count in twelve months — 590,000 new subscribers in a single 10-week stretch in early 2026.

CboysTV (NEW, #7) and Westen Champlin (NEW, #8) both cracked the top 10 on debut, representing a wave of heartland, blue-collar automotive content that resonates in a market saturated with supercar vlogs.

Throttle House (↑10) and HeavyDSparks (↑9) continue strong climbs on consistent quality and authentic engagement, demonstrating that steady improvement compounds.

Hagerty (NEW, #11) enters the list with a Prime Video FAST channel, 3.76 million subscribers, Telly Award-winning content, and Jason Cammisa — a legitimate media operation, not a brand side project.

Biggest Losers

Donut Media (↓16 to #21) experienced the most dramatic fall on the list. Losing Pumphrey, Jeremiah Burton, and Zach Jobe in the same summer gutted the channel's identity. Nine million subscribers of increasingly disengaged viewers is not the same asset it was in 2023.

Shmee150 (↓7) reflects the broader softening of the pure supercar vlog and spotting category as audience attention has shifted toward builders and racers.

Jay Leno's Garage (↓13) drops to #25 as content output slowed following consecutive injuries.

Notable Exits from the Top 25

Supercar Blondie (was #1): The most discussed drop of this cycle. She still has 22.1 million YouTube subscribers, but recent videos have pulled as few as 6,500 views. Engagement rate is flagged as "Could be improved" by analytics platforms, growth sits at 0.07% monthly, earnings are declining, and she hasn't uploaded since December 2025. When fewer than 0.03% of a channel's subscribers watch the latest video, raw subscriber count has stopped reflecting real influence. She's also launched the SBX Cars auction platform, pivoting from content creation toward commerce. If consistent uploads return, the audience is large enough that she'll climb quickly. Right now, she's not uploading.

TheStradman (was #8): The channel appears to have gone dormant since October 2025. Analytics show zero subscriber growth over the most recent tracked month. A channel that has stopped uploading and stopped growing cannot be ranked as actively influential.

Top Gear (was #10): BBC confirmed the show is shelved indefinitely following Freddie Flintoff's 2022 crash. No new episodes since late 2022. The YouTube channel runs on archive content only.

MotorTrend (was #11): The digital transition continues to underperform relative to independent creators who simply outpace it on engagement and cultural relevance.

VinWiki (was #25): A beloved storytelling format that has plateaued in growth.

Runner-Up Creators to Watch

These creators are either knocking on the door of the top 25 or building niches that demand attention:

• Speeed (James Pumphrey & Jesse Wood) — The former Donut Media face launched Speeed mid-2024, already at 2.2M subs and 93M views. Praised by Jalopnik for "anti-hype" builds like his $1,500 VW Golf named Normie. His second act may outgrow his first. [YouTube]
  
• The Straight Pipes (Yuri & Jakub) — Canadian duo with 1.8M subs, 537M total views. Fun, no-frills reviews with their signature "two angles" format and exhaust note tests. Respected, but growth has plateaued. [YouTube]
  
• 1320Video (Kyle Loftis & team) — Grassroots drag racing media brand with roughly 3M subs. Raw street and strip racing content nobody else produces at this scale. The original launchpad for Cleetus McFarland. [YouTube]
  
• Rich Rebuilds (Rich Benoit) — The sharpest EV voice on YouTube. Tesla criticism meets genuine engineering knowledge. Now runs a shop and produces provocative builds including a V8-swapped Tesla. Roughly 1M subs. [YouTube]
  
• BigTime (Jeremiah Burton & Zach Jobe) — The other Donut Media alumni channel, launched mid-2024. Still finding its identity but carries significant goodwill from the Donut fanbase. [YouTube]
  
• Car Dealership Guy (Yossi Levi) — The premier voice on the automotive business side. Dealership strategy, market trends, wholesale auction data. Built on X and podcasting. A different kind of influence — but real and growing. [X]
  
• Daniel Mac — The "What do you do for a living?" format is one of the most recognizable in car content. Short-form dominance with genuine crossover appeal. [YouTube]
  
• B is for Build (Chris Steinbacher) — Ambitious, fabrication-heavy builds for the hardcore DIY crowd. Roughly 1.6M subs. [YouTube]
  
• Supercar Blondie (Alexandra Hirschi) — Still 22M YouTube subscribers and approximately 57M cross-platform. Engagement has cratered and uploads appear to have stopped, so the numbers no longer reflect active influence. The SBX Cars auction platform represents a significant business pivot. If she returns to consistent uploading, she'll be back in the top 25 quickly — the audience is still there. [YouTube]
  
• TJ Hunt — JDM tuner vlogger who has matured into a professional operation. Nearly 2.5M subs. Growth has stabilized but influence in the tuner community remains strong. [YouTube]
  

Key Takeaways

• Subscriber counts are a vanity metric in 2026. Engagement rate, views-per-video relative to subscriber count, and growth trajectory are the numbers that actually reflect influence. Supercar Blondie's exit from the top 25 at 22.1 million subscribers is the clearest proof.
• The biggest movers this year are builders and grassroots motorsport creators. Cleetus McFarland (↑9), HeavyDSparks (↑9), Throttle House (↑10), and Westen Champlin (debut at #8) all rose on authentic content and real audience engagement — not follower-count inflation.
• Private equity is the biggest structural threat to legacy automotive channels. Donut Media's ↓16 drop, Hoonigan's continued instability, and the departures of Pumphrey, Burton, and Jobe all point to the same underlying problem: when PE ownership prioritises short-term extraction over creative culture, the talent leaves and the audience follows.
• The crossover between YouTube and real motorsport is accelerating. Cleetus McFarland is now a legitimate NASCAR competitor with results to back it up. Adam LZ won a Formula Drift event in 2023. These are not influencers buying credibility — they're earning it on track.
• New entrants are beating incumbents on earned engagement. Mat Armstrong's 590,000 subscribers in 10 weeks, CboysTV's 80,000 in two months, and Westen Champlin's 1.09% monthly growth rate all outpace channels with audiences three times their size. The audience finds good content — eventually.