“Throttle stuff” just means videos that focus on how the car responds when you press the gas. The hosts are saying that kind of content is doing especially well right now.
Koenig wheels are aftermarket wheels made by a company called Koenig. The hosts are saying some of the popular car videos use those wheels on their builds.
The Ford Mustang is a popular sports car. In this segment, they’re talking about a Mustang that’s being heavily modified, so it’s not just a bolt-on upgrade—it changes how the car drives.
Part
turbo K series
A turbocharger forces extra air into the engine, which can make much more power. “K series” here means they’re using a particular engine design/family, and then turbocharging it as part of the swap.
A “modular” engine is built using a design that’s meant to be shared across different engines. They’re saying the car started with a V8 modular engine, and the project changes that baseline.
Naturally aspirated means the engine doesn’t use a turbo or supercharger—it just breathes normally. A four-cylinder engine has four cylinders, and they’re comparing its power to the V8 before the turbo swap.
Turbocharging adds a device that squeezes more air into the engine. More air usually means more power, but it also requires extra parts and careful tuning.
When you swap an engine, you can move where the car’s weight sits. Shifting weight toward the back can change how the car handles and feels when you drive.
Term
K software
This is probably referring to the computer tuning/software used to make an engine run correctly and efficiently. They’re saying this kind of setup is very common, so it’s not as “surprising” as the more unusual build.
“Fab work” means making custom parts or modifications by building or shaping materials. For big projects, it’s the hands-on work that makes everything physically fit and function.
Concept
word of, you know, interplacement
It sounds like the speaker is talking about planning—making sure parts are positioned correctly and the build is thought through. For custom car projects, that kind of planning can be as important as the actual wrenching.
A “K-swap” means swapping in a Honda K-series engine. Here, it’s being discussed as a swap into a Subaru BRZ, which usually requires custom work to make everything fit and work together.
SolidWorks is a computer program for designing 3D parts. Car builders use it to create custom pieces that match the measurements of the car and other parts.
3D printing is a way to make a physical part from a computer design. Car builders use it to prototype or create custom pieces without needing a full machine shop for every one-off part.
CAD is computer software for designing parts. Instead of guessing dimensions, builders can model the part digitally to make sure it fits before they cut, print, or fabricate anything.
Company
Suncut Send
The speaker mentions a place where you can send your designs so they can turn them into real parts. It’s basically a “send your file, get a made part” kind of service.
They’re describing a video structure that’s split into steps. In this case, it’s basically: start with the car, check what’s there, take parts off and build it up, then test it on a dyno and show the finished result.
They’re talking about the whole world of car videos on YouTube—who makes them, what kinds of videos people like, and how that affects what shows up. They’re asking if one style will become the only popular one, or if different styles will keep working.
Stance Works is mentioned as an example of a creator whose “narrative style” keeps the host engaged. The discussion highlights how presentation and storytelling can be as important as the technical content.
Coilovers are suspension parts that let you adjust how high the car sits and how it soaks up bumps. People use them to improve handling and to get the look they want.
The BMW 7 Series is a large, luxury sedan meant to be comfortable and feature-rich. It’s designed more for a smooth ride and upscale appointments than for a smaller, simpler driving experience. In the podcast, it’s mentioned as part of a comparison between different BMW model sizes.
Drag racing is when two cars race side-by-side to see which one accelerates fastest over a short distance. The car setup matters a lot for getting off the line quickly.
Concept
builder yourself
“Builder yourself” here means building or working on a car yourself, not just buying one off the lot. The speaker is talking about the DIY-style car project videos they like to follow.
The Lincoln Continental is a luxury car made by Lincoln. The speaker is saying that seeing videos about it is what got them interested in car projects in the first place.
A drift truck is a truck that’s built to do drifting—driving sideways on purpose. It usually needs special setup so it can slide safely and consistently.
Cleetus McFarland is a well-known automotive YouTuber whose channel often features racing, builds, and events. The speaker uses the name as a reference point for the kind of track racing content viewers might like.
Concept
circle track stuff
Circle track racing is racing on an oval track where you turn left (or right) a lot. Cars are set up differently than for road courses because the corners are more constant.
A “burnout contest” is an event where drivers intentionally spin the tires to create tire smoke and heat, aiming for the biggest or longest burnout. It’s more about traction control, tire choice, and throttle technique than outright lap speed.
The Toyota MR2 is a mid-engine sports car line known for its handling and modding potential. The speaker specifically references a “twin turbo MR2” and building an exhaust, which is a common enthusiast path for making more power and changing the sound.
“Twin turbo” means the engine uses two turbochargers to make more power. It’s a common upgrade on enthusiast cars, but it also requires careful tuning and supporting mods.
The exhaust is the system that carries burned gases out of the engine. If you’re adding turbos, the exhaust has to be set up correctly so the car makes power and sounds the way you want.
The Acura NSX is a fast, sporty car made for performance driving. People talk about it a lot because there are different versions, and some are more focused on turbo-style power. The conversation usually centers on which kind of NSX experience someone prefers.
A paywall is a system that restricts access to content unless viewers pay a subscription or fee. In the transcript, it’s mentioned as a strategy some media companies used to try to monetize automotive audiences, but it didn’t work as intended.
Build quality just means how well something is made. In cars, it’s about whether parts feel solid, fit together nicely, and are made with good materials.
Concept
bargain hunters
Here, bargain hunters means people who look for good deals and cheaper parts. They still manage to build cars that look and drive well, just without paying premium prices.
A junkyard is where vehicles are dismantled for parts, often including older or less common models. In enthusiast circles, it’s a common way to source used components cheaply for projects and builds.
Part
conic wheels
They’re talking about a specific kind of wheel design. Wheels aren’t just for looks—different wheel styles can change how the car rides and handles, but here it’s mainly mentioned as a recognizable “name” from magazines.
Product placement is when a product shows up in a video. Sometimes it’s paid for by the company, and sometimes the person just uses it—this segment is about how viewers can’t always tell the difference.
Advertising space is the portion of a magazine, video, or website that companies pay to show their ads. It’s different from using a product on a real car you’re building.
Brand
Genji
Genji is used here as an example brand that might sponsor a video or segment. The speaker is saying good disclosure matters so viewers know it’s an ad.
Concept
doing the research
They’re saying you should look things up yourself before buying. Don’t rely only on what you see in ads or videos—make sure the product really matches what you need.
Shopify is a website tool that helps people open an online store fast. The point here is that a store being easy to set up doesn’t prove the products are good.
Brand
Fortune
Fortune is a tire brand. The host is basically saying they use those tires on their cars and they’ve found them to work well.
Brand
hypergrams
“Hypergrams” sounds like a brand of aftermarket wheels or parts. The host is saying that brand has been on that car for a long time, so it’s likely part of the setup they trust.
An affiliate setup means the YouTuber gets paid if you buy something through their link. It can affect what they talk about because they may earn money from certain products.
A fuel pump module is the part in the gas tank that moves fuel to the engine. If it’s put in wrong, it can stop working and people might blame the part instead of the installation.
“Installed wrong” refers to mistakes during installation—such as incorrect wiring, improper sealing, or incorrect orientation/fitment—that can lead to premature failure. In product reviews, this distinction matters because it separates installer error from a defective component.
“Bashed online” describes how online communities can quickly assign blame to a product based on reported failures. This can spread misinformation when the root cause is actually installation error or user/installer mistakes.
Term
comment section
The comment section is where viewers respond to videos and share experiences, including troubleshooting claims. In automotive content, these threads can become informal “case studies” that influence how others judge a product’s reliability.
A toe hook is a strong metal point on the car that you can use to pull it out if it gets stuck. It has to be bolted to a solid place on the car, not a weak panel.
A diffuser is a part under the back of the car that helps air flow better. It’s usually not meant to take big pulling forces, so bolting things to it can be unsafe.
Injectors are the parts that deliver fuel into the engine. If you swap them, the car may need settings updated so the engine knows how much fuel to inject.
“Tables” are the car’s built-in settings that tell it how to run the engine. If you install new parts but don’t have the right settings/data, the engine can run poorly or not at all.
“Forum days” means the time when people mostly talked in message boards instead of social media. Those discussions could last a long time and were easier to find later.
A DIY thread is basically a post where someone tries a project themselves and shares what they did. Other people in the community can comment, point out mistakes, or suggest better ways to do it.
A cold air intake is a modification that tries to feed your engine cooler air from outside the engine bay. Cooler air helps the engine burn fuel more effectively than hot air from under the hood.
Here “hot air” means the engine is breathing air from inside the engine compartment. Hot air is less effective because it’s not as dense, so the engine may not perform as well.
An intake is how the engine gets air. If it’s placed in the hot area under the hood, it may pull in hotter air instead of cooler air from outside, which can hurt how efficiently the engine runs.
“Stick” is shorthand for a manual transmission (a gearbox you shift yourself with a clutch pedal). When people say there’s a lack of new “stick” cars, they mean fewer cars are being sold with manual gearboxes.
A “K swap” is when someone puts a Honda K-series engine into a different car than the one it originally came with. People do it because those engines are popular and have lots of parts and tuning options.
A supercharger is a device that helps the engine breathe more air. More air usually means the engine can make more power.
Term
master alternator
A “master alternator” usually means the car has an upgraded or extra alternator, and one is treated as the main one that charges the battery. People do this when they have lots of electrical stuff running.
LIVE
YouTube, about YouTube creators and kind of what's happening right now with a lot of
the videos that are being put out and today's sponsor, HelloFresh, I'm just kidding.
No, what do you think about kind of the current crop of like what's really, really popular
right now with the Carbids that are going on?
You know, so the thing is, you know, I spend a lot of time obviously while I'm here also
on YouTube.
So it's interesting.
I think all of us do.
Yeah, we all do.
I think coming from the outside world where I was just consuming it not only just as a
fan and then moving into like a business sense also and now seeing it's completely different.
It's different, right?
Yeah, you view it differently for sure.
Yeah, 100%.
And you're starting to see like where, you know, I've started to like learn where like
kind of like where the trend is and where you see a lot of popularity and we've been
discussing this lately where we've seen kind of like this change in the culture as far
as like what's being consumed, you know, I really got to tell you as of late, a lot
of the throttle stuff has been doing really well.
I know you've seen the numbers, but just in general, like they've been putting together
really great builds, really like these really punchy videos with a ton of great content
in them and a ton of information and really good stuff that they're putting on the cars.
And some of them are running Koenig wheels as well.
We've done a few pull out with them on a few different projects.
The most recent Dean, that's trusty they did not too long ago, it came out really, really
good.
Well, I'd say great products.
I mean, I wasn't, I didn't misspeak.
I said great products and wheels fall into that category, you know, but I do still kind
of find myself yearning for some of the longer form stuff.
Like I very much like the deep dive sometimes into the more intricate projects.
Like, yeah, one of the guys that I've been watching a lot of build it yourself, the two
guys, they are awesome.
They had a Lincoln Continental v10 build that was a really big project that they did.
They brought it over to Seema custom cylinder heads, all this cool stuff.
Right now, they're working on a Mustang project that has a turbo K series in it.
I'm loving the project, really cool.
Got some surprises coming down the road for that one too, but it's a really cool project
because you're going from a, you know, a V8 modular engine that really made about the
same power as that naturally aspirated four cylinder.
And now you're also turbo charging it and moving the weight back further in the chassis.
Yeah.
And I think, you know, I think there's certainly the shock factor to you or the
well factor to try to get people to watch, right?
Like you need to do something that's going to get people interested.
If you, you took that factory engine and you, you boosted it, you get some views for
sure, but this is like kind of blasphemous and kind of, you know, a little against the
grain, you know, obviously K software are done everywhere.
We just did a piece about why it's so popular, but it's just one of those things where
like it gets people to look.
And I think with this type of thing, you would have to stretch it out over multiple
episodes because you could shove it all into one episode, like have like an hour long
thing, but there's probably going to be a lot of fab work involved, a lot of, you know,
strategy and word of, you know, interplacement, things like that.
Whereas if you're doing like a, you know, a K swap BRZ or me on or something, you just
do that one episode, right?
It's been done, you know, a hundred times on, on YouTube and Instagram.
So it definitely has that aura of a longer, a longer build for sure.
Yeah.
And I think that that's also part of it too, is the complexity of the build.
Like if it's something where it's kind of run of the mill, you're, you're, I don't
want to say changing parts, but where it's, where it's a basic build out, you know, you
don't need to go into this in depth, um, long form content.
Like we're there to watch something be built and see the end result.
Right.
Like with some of these, um, longer, you know, longer, more custom projects, I like
seeing how the soup is made.
You know, I like to see those details.
And, you know, and going back and Scott's talked about in the past, but Mike from
Stanceworks, like that's a prime example of a very long form content where, you know,
he got me more into 3D printing and figuring out CAD and solid works than any
other video that I've ever watched, because just seeing what he was able to come
up with and develop and, and think of, and then make it into a physical product.
And then also to kind of be like, Oh, well, here's a resource out at Suncut Send
that we can design all this stuff, send it to them.
They'll make it in whatever product you want.
You know, I didn't even think about that.
Like I knew they existed and I knew that that service was out there, but I never
thought to utilize it all as one system.
Yeah.
And I got that from him.
And I think that there, there's a time and place for both of those types of content.
But then you get the really sweet spot where you get guys like Speed Academy who
we're, we're great friends with, but they have, they have like that little three
piece format sometimes where it's like, you know, get the car, assess the car, go
over the parts, start taking parts out of the car, finish building it, get it
on the dyno out the door.
Like two or three episodes and I enjoy that too.
So the question is, is there a place for each of these things to exist in the YouTube
ecosystem or are, are we going to see one dominate over the others?
I don't think so.
I don't think anything's going to dominate.
I think there, there's certainly a place for, for the different styles.
I really like, uh, with stance works, you mentioned, um, this is like nerdy stuff,
but I really like his, um, narrative style.
Like he'll, he'll narrate the episode from behind the camera and then he's in front
of the camera talking a little bit, you know, doing whatever he's doing with his
hands and then he's, he's sort of like, you know, on the mic again, showing stuff
that's, you know, on, on, uh, on the screen, but then talking about it.
That style I think is like really, uh, keeps me interested, uh, more than
there's a person talking at you, you know, um, but you know, you, you look
at like what you mentioned before, you know, seeing the long form, you want to
kind of go along for the ride.
Do you think that there is a tie in there with like your connection to the host?
So you really like what this person does.
Maybe they're a good fabricator.
They got, you know, um, the kind of style you like to do the kind of builds you
like, so they could do anything they could do, you know, fill in coilovers.
You'll watch it for, for 30 minutes because you like them, you know, and you,
you like how they present their episodes.
So no, with me, I, I hate to say it.
I, I'm more fickle than that.
Um, I don't get really fanboy about the, the particular.
Builds like even raw, even Ross's VK 56 G 35.
Yeah, it's a great project.
I've watched every episode, but if he turned around and started building a three
series BMW, I probably will check it out, but I won't, it's just not my thing.
So I tend to be, it tends to be what's interesting me.
I'm watching a guy that has a Ford Fairmont that he's got a VK 56 turbo in
that he's running down at, at, you know, the drag racing and doing drag racing
with it.
And to me that just because it has the VK 56 in it, that's interesting me.
So I guess I'm more, I guess it's more of brand loyalty to like the Nissan
projects that I find myself kind of going down the rabbit hole.
And then I find other ones that are cool.
Like, you know, the guys over, as I said, at builder yourself, you know, that
Lincoln Continental is what got me into them, but I've watched a couple of their
other videos and then I got into the Mustang project because I do like Ford
projects.
So, you know, once again, I think it's just the car and what they're doing with
it that interests me more than the person necessarily behind the camera.
I don't, I don't get really latched on.
Like I watched that little Z back in the day when he was first starting out, when
he transitioned from doing, you know, when he was first like really starting out
with the S 13 way back in the day, I watched his shows for a while.
And then after that, I just kind of stopped.
Like it just wasn't, it really just became what I, if it was something that
I was interested in, something that I actually liked, I would watch it and
then I would finish watching that whole project.
And if they continue to do things I liked, I would continue to watch it.
But if they don't, then I don't click in.
Yeah, I feel like before, you know, years ago, there weren't as many, obviously
there weren't as many YouTube creators, right?
That's become a thing.
But before, there were kind of few and far between.
So, you sort of followed.
If you were into a certain style of build or builder, you stuck it out with them.
Whatever they were doing, you would watch it.
Nowadays though, there's so many different options.
If you see somebody working on, oh, they're going to do a, you know, a Lincoln
Continental.
Well, I'm not interested in those types of vehicles.
I'm going to jump over to this guy's channel because he's doing a drift truck
or he's doing, you know, whatever you're into.
So it seems like now you have so many different options.
It's going to be tougher to get somebody to watch every single video.
But there are some guys out there, like, I think a good example is Kyle from
Boosted Boys.
Whatever he's doing, people are going to watch it, right?
Like it doesn't really matter.
If he's doing, sometimes they'll do the, the Cleetus McFarland, like the, you
know, the track racing thing they do, like the circle track stuff or the burnout
contest, they're into it.
Then he's building the NSX, they're into it, the MR2, they're into it.
Everything he does, they're into it.
And I watch most of his videos.
There's a few, you know, I might get, but for the most part, I watch everything,
you know, the heat that he puts out.
And there's sometimes where he'll do everything in one episode and then
sometimes he'll stretch it out really far.
I think he got a little bit of flack at one point for, um, when he was first
building the exhaust on his twin turbo MR2 when he's first doing it, he stretched
it out like three or four episodes, like you can tell they're getting pissed off.
They're like, Hey man, it's too many, it's too long.
You know what I mean?
And so he kind of, he kind of joked about it.
He recognized that, read it, and he was like, very open about it.
He's like, all right, no more of that stuff.
You know what I mean?
So, um, I think it really just depends on, like you said, like what the project is,
but it seems like now with so many different options, it's going to be
tougher to get somebody to watch every single video that you do because you're
going to want to do other stuff, right?
You're not going to always want to do the, you know, the turbo NSX or something.
You don't want to do something else and it might be tougher.
Um, and that's just an example, you know, cause I know Kyle has a ton of fans
and, and I've been subscribed to his channel for a long time.
I enjoy watching what he does.
Um, but you know, he's, he's kind of branched out a little bit now.
He got like a two days, he's civic and you know, he did like a little bit of, um,
the Tesla stuff, like you kind of move, move around a little bit.
Um, but you know, the, the views are incredible, amazing.
It's insane.
Um, but it's just like, uh, it's like your, your home, what you watch at home,
you have, you know, Netflix and Paramount and Peacock and all these different
options, it's probably tougher.
I would imagine to reel somebody in and keep them hooked.
And you know, we saw that too with, I'm not going to say the company, but
certain media companies that may have been a part of previously that, um, look
to try to capture some of the automotive audience with a paywall and it didn't
work, it just didn't work, right?
Because this, this group of like, uh, what we'll say, like import
enthusiasts, they have so many options that are free on YouTube.
There's really no reason to go through a paywall to get the same sort of content.
You know what I mean?
There's no reason.
So as somebody who's been doing this for a long time, not to, not to throw shade,
but have you seen a change in the way that the build quality and build
complexities and things like that have changed from the magazine generation to
the YouTube generation?
Um, I mean, there, it's the same way where it's like some guys will go all
out and get the highest level products they can possibly get, even if they're
not going to use them.
We talked about this previously, right?
Like getting the $7,000 coil overs, but it's just like, you know, it's a weekend cruiser.
Um, and then there's the guys that do the olibaba and, you know, and the
team and stuff, and that's like, there's, there's room for all of it.
And I think there's certainly an audience for, for all of it.
So if you're, um, there's a couple of, um, well, there's, there's more than a couple.
There's, there's a lot of, um, YouTube creators that they're sort of like
bargain hunters, right?
Like they go to the junkyard, they get parts that they need from the
junkyard, or they might get stuff off of like, you know, Amazon, no name stuff,
but they still put together great builds.
It might not be like a, a show car, you know, it might be, you know, not a trophy
winner or something like that, but in terms of, um, its ability to perform, they
have no problems and they do what they do.
I personally don't, for, for my personal builds, I, I don't like the idea of
using parts that, um, aren't proven or aren't backed by a company that I trust.
That's just me though.
And I've been doing it for a long time.
Maybe if I was, you know, 18 years old and, you know, part-time job or whatever,
and I couldn't afford it, maybe I might change my mind, but for, for me, I would
rather just save up my money and then get something that I know is going to work.
That's just me though.
Yeah.
No, I feel, I feel kind of the same way that that's kind of been the challenge
with, I feel with YouTube also is that you have a lot of brands that were
willing to throw money at the problem.
As you were joking around with your hello fresh or your, your rate shadow legends.
There were car, there were parts companies or our parts companies that I
feel like their product was inferior to their competitors, but they were willing
to spend and throw money at these YouTube creators that they're not driving
these cars every day.
They're not actually using the car.
And I'm not, I'm not throwing shade at you, a lot of the creators out there,
but there are, there are YouTube creators that have taken the paycheck, just
like the Raid Shadow Legends guys have and they push out a product that might
not be that great, let's say.
And that's something I, I don't know if that was necessarily the same thing
that we saw back when I was younger.
Cause like you'd crack open a tuning magazine and yeah, it would be the name.
Like you would see, Oh, it's got conic wheels.
It's got, you know, fortune auto coilovers.
It's got this thing.
So you knew that the cars were running them.
It wasn't as much of an advertisement.
Like sometimes I feel like with YouTube, you don't know if it's a product
placement or if it's been provided.
And that's something that I got to say, like with that's a, that's strategic
though, right?
If, if you're viewing something you're not sure, like you just said, you're not
sure if it's a product placement that was paid for or the person that you're
watching and maybe you admire is putting this product on their car.
Cause they want to, they've done their job.
They did it right.
You know what I mean?
If you can squeeze that in there, that's pretty good.
And, you know, to be fair, when, when it came to like, like, um, you know, the
older media days and magazines and stuff, there were also brands that
advertised in there that were not, in my opinion, not on the up and up.
They were, um, replica stuff, they copied from another brand.
Um, maybe they don't have the best reputation, things like that.
But when it comes to stuff like that, it's like buying an ad of the newspaper.
Um, if you have the money, you have a product, you have your business license
and everything, all your ducks on the road, you can advertise, right?
So there were some that, that were on there.
And I can, you know, I can tell you that there were times when I would be
building a project car and an advertiser would, you know, hit up one of the sales
guys and like, look, I know you guys are building, you know, such and such a vehicle.
How about running our, you know, whatever bar, you know, shocks or whatever it was.
And I'd have to tell them, no, I'm not going to run that product.
I'm just not doing it.
You know what I mean?
So, but I'm okay with that because it's different if you're buying advertising
space that, that, you know, when you crack open the magazine, you look down at the
bottom and it's, it's like a, it's a piece of content that's there to be sold.
That's different, but it'd be different when it's your project car.
As you said, if you're building a car with the, the name of the company on it,
you want the products to hold up to that standard of what you're producing.
I, I'm concerned sometimes that YouTube doesn't have that same standard.
And I'm not saying all magazines did.
There's very possibility that there was car magazines out there that, that didn't
have that same standard, but in this case, I'm saying that I hope that they all did.
Yeah.
Well, I can tell you right now, if there was money involved and there was an
advertiser, especially toward the end, they'll take it, you know, um, you know what I
think, you know, it's a little bit more, it's a little bit more murky, but I think
some people, some people do a good job of just telling you that, look, this is
brought to you by, Genji, I'm a good example.
And I'm okay with that.
Yeah.
They'll tell you straight up, like this is, you know, my episode brought to you by,
you know, such and such, and they'll put it out there.
Um, you know, you kind of have to just take the, the go with the bad.
I think you got to do your own research.
If you're going to be purchasing products you've seen online or on, you know,
social media or YouTube and make sure you're getting what, what it is you want.
That risks you, but, um, like you said, it's sometimes it is a little bit
difficult to tell, you know, what they're choosing.
And I think that's a big part of is, as you said, doing the research into the
product and, and working with companies that have been around a long time that
have a track record that have a proven history of making a consistent product.
That goes a long way.
Um, you know, anyone can set up a Shopify these days and integrate in a turn 14
back end and be a speed shop.
You know, it's not, it's not that hard to set up a website these days to do that.
And I think that if you have somebody you can go to and you can trust, you know,
that you've been watching for decades that you're like, okay, every single one
of their builds, they're doing this or, or they, they've used conic wheels
consistently throughout their projects.
Oh, and you know, I've seen that car on their channel multiple times and it
still has the wheels on it six years later.
Oh, I know that that product is reliable.
That's me.
Yeah, you would think, right?
Like that would be the testament, right?
That's, that's another good.
Yeah.
Another good example would be, um, Gears and gasoline, which is a channel
that I really, really enjoyed watching because I love their, um, yeah, I think
that their, their camera work is really good.
Like I always nerd out on the, on the weird shit, like weird stuff.
I'm sorry.
Um, I think when it comes to like their channel, you can see a lot of the
stuff that they do, they're consistently running fortune on pretty much all their
vehicles, right?
Fortune, which I like, I have those on my vehicle and I love them.
So there's, you know, yeah.
So, so I really like that product and I know it works well because I've used it,
but I see them using it and, you know, obviously they're very competitive.
They do well in grid life and things like that.
Um, so that's one example, you know, even, um, Asian Ben Scott, you know, he's
got, um, and he has hypergrams on the, on the spider, right?
So he had those on there for a long, long time and he's checked that car.
So, you know, there's, there's stuff that, you know, works well and you can see
why it would be used on a, on a, on a vehicle.
Um, I think some of the smaller channels that are coming up now, obviously
they want to grow, right?
They want to, they want to get up to, to make some money.
I can understand that I'm sure they're being approached by various companies
that might not have the best product that are willing to pay.
Um, or do some sort of an affiliate thing.
Um, you know, that comes with the territory.
I would think, you know,
yeah, I mean, that's, I guess that is part of the, the whole thing
of a growing the channel, then you get that reputation and then you know
what, what products work and you have the experience.
And I think that's a lot to do with this.
Cause a lot of these YouTube guys that are going, don't have the background
that you and I have necessarily, a lot of them are going into it from a creative
standpoint, they like to build cars.
They like making videos and that's how they got into it.
So it's different when I, you know, I've watched, you know, fuel pump modules
fail on name brand products.
And it turns out that it was installed wrong and they're getting bashed
online for a product that it's not the product's fault.
It's the installer fault and things like that.
Those are, those are the things that I think only come from experience.
And, but you know, it was crazy though, too.
Like you just mentioned that like if a product fails and maybe it's due
to install or air with YouTube, it's, that's the receipt, right?
Like people up and we'll go back and post on that, on that, on that
thread or on the comment section and be like, Hey man, you installed
this completely wrong.
Like you're the one that screwed this up.
And then it's, you know, it's, it's for everyone to see, right?
Unless the person deletes the video or something, but nowadays you have that.
And I've seen that recently.
Actually, I was watching a real, actually last night and sure enough, they
did something wrong on the real and, and they got corrected.
And, and I noticed it right away.
I'm sure a million other people with the experience in that has had that
same, you know, run around and be like, Oh yeah, this is what you did wrong.
And the guy was super appreciative, went back, corrected it on his own,
that type of thing.
And, and it was great.
Cause that's, that's what we want from these, that's, that's like the perfect
example of what we want from social media, right?
And you, you're that guy, you've always probably wanted that, but it's
never been that way.
It's always been, even back to the forums, right?
If somebody makes a mistake, it's, they just jump all over and like, oh, yeah,
noob and you know, social media, it's even, everyone's
an expert in social media, right?
So you're like, you're an idiot.
How do you not know this stuff?
And then I think now with the amount of attention that that kind of stuff gets,
people are doing stuff they know is incorrect, just to get the reaction to
get the rage bait.
Yeah, exactly.
So I didn't see, I don't know who the girl is, but it came across my feed
and she was putting a toe hook on, on her view.
I don't remember what kind of part it was, but she was putting one of those
like fancy toe hooks on the back, you know, and she didn't have anywhere to
mount it, so she just mounted up to like the diffuser, which, you know,
it's like paper thin, right?
So she put a couple of bolts through there and put it on there and it's
all flimsy and then the number of comments just flooding.
I was like, this is on purpose.
And then you kind of see some of her comments back.
I'm like, oh, okay.
No, yeah, I mean, there's a timing place for rage bait, but there's also a
timing place where you can't get a no-name set of injectors without any
load, without any, without any tables and then expect the thing to work.
You know, so that's kind of my point where there's, there's a difference.
And I think that that's, that's the only distinction I was trying to make was
that the experience that comes from, you know, working on cars for a long time
or doing these things for a long time, you'll see some of these young YouTube
creators that have just started and you're just like, Oh my gosh, like,
you know, you want to hold your, you want to hold your head in your hand
and feel bad for them.
And it's like, I know that they're trying to gain audience and all that,
but it's just like sometimes like, you might want to know what you're doing
before you post it, you know, that too.
So as much as that girl was waiting.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure she was just in the comments, but it was just very,
very funny to me.
And she was probably like, you know, looking at her phone, just like, yeah,
this is exactly what I wanted.
Um, unless you did it on accident, which is crazy, but either way.
Um, but what you're seeing now though, with like having the experience and
knowing what you're doing, that also goes back to the forum days.
Cause there would be guys that would do like a DIY type thread and they did it
all wrong, right?
And they put it up there and then everyone just be jumping on them.
Like, you know, you know, um, you know, just, just yelling and telling,
telling what you're doing wrong.
A lot of times you could just delete that.
It was gone forever.
No one knew about it.
And now there's nothing.
Yeah.
But nowadays though, if that happens on YouTube or something, it's going to make
it's way to social media.
It's going to make its way to like, you know, Instagram or TikTok or something.
Yeah.
You got to be careful.
But I do think because of that nowadays, a lot of the creators,
especially the newer ones are a lot more careful and they, they probably do
their research before they actually put these videos out and they know what
they're doing.
Obviously there's guys that, they don't need to do the research, like the
gen gems and the Kyle Wades, like they know what they're doing, right?
Yeah.
But there's probably a lot of newer guys, newer guys and girls, generations
that are, um, still learning.
And the, before they put something out, I would hope that they would look
into making sure they're doing everything proper, right?
Like all the, all the right stuff they're supposed to be doing, uh, just
to make sure that they're putting good information out there.
I see a ton of shorts now, YouTube shorts, and they're like very basic, but
they seem to get a lot of attention.
So like guys going, you know, this, this intake under your hood is not good
because it's not a cold air intake.
It's hot air.
And they're kind of explaining it.
I'm like, damn, that's like information that they were sharing, like, I
don't know, three decades ago, like it was, you know, it was like a hot topic
back then and now it's sort of coming back up again.
Um, and I think, you know, when one person does it, it gets a little bit
of traction, other people will do the same and that's just kind of, kind of
how it works.
I mean, that is, that is something to be said about like the transition
of knowledge, like we automatically assume that people know these things.
And because we, you know, it's common sense to us.
Like, Oh yeah, of course the, the intake being in the engine bay is going
to suck in hot air.
It's common sense.
Yeah.
It's common sense, but it's not necessarily for the guys who are just
starting out, like, you know, these kids are 18 to 20 years old, just
getting their first cars and starting the ones that are into cars.
I know that it's becoming fewer and fewer and I'm going to get, I'm going
to get the guys in the comments like, Oh, nobody buys cars anymore.
But there are still, luckily there are still some young guys out there.
Actually, I was very happy when I went out to, um, Calvertine out here for
the recent drift event, a little side note, um, there was a ton of kids, my
kids ages all the way up to like 16 and then all the way down to like little
kids running around with their parents, of course.
So it was great to see like, you know, we might still have a whole
another generation or two.
I think so.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We harp on that.
Like we, we definitely talk about, you know, Scott has mentioned it before too.
It's just like the, the next few generations don't really seem to be that
interested in cars.
And, you know, obviously there's a lack of new, um, you know, stick
strip cars coming out, you know, let's getting thinner and thinner.
But when I've gone to like cars and coffee, like that's pretty close to
here, met up with a few friends, kicked back for a little bit.
There's a lot of kids, a lot of young, young kids that come up and ask
questions, you know, and they don't know anything like they're just learning.
And, you know, instead of me just ignoring them, I'll, you know, I'll
chat with them, you know, with, with my K, K swap, you know, they're like,
wow, is that, that's a super charge.
I'm the master alternator.
But, you know, explain to you why, you know, the, well, it's a little bit
different, you know, so things like that, I think it's important.
And I don't think you have to be the good guy and go out there and, you
know, go out there and look at your pictures and say, I'm like,
I don't know if that's the right word, but it, you know, answer the questions,
at least, you know, I see some people kind of like, you don't know anything,
kind of just walk off, you know what I mean?
But just answer the questions.
You know what I mean?
If, if a young person has questions, it's for a reason, you know what I mean?
They might be, some of them.
They're asking questions is a good thing, right?
And like that's, you know, they're like, looking for.
Yeah.
They're like at their phones on taking pictures.
They don't even know they're looking at.
They're just taking pictures.
They thought it was cool.
So, you know, I think that stuff is, is definitely important.
It's like when the, the forums are around and people were, you know,
flaming and seeing search a lot of stuff, some guys would actually go out
and they're in common and look, man, here's how it is to kind of break it
out for them real quick.
It took them five minutes to do that, you know, so, you know, there's not a,
there's not as much of that now.
It seems like it's better or it's more popular to sort of like flame them
and, and kind of move on, but somebody's got to do it, right?
Somebody's got to do it.
Or else it's not going to be any more, more enthusiasts moving forward,
at least with the next generation.
So, so yeah, I mean, we don't have to be at a dead horse, but I think it's
just, it's very interesting.
Um, the, the current crop of YouTube content that we're seeing now, it seems
like it's more informed than ever.
And it seems like with the amount of stuff you have, you have so many different
choices, right?
You've got your Netflix and all these different things you can, you can choose
between, uh, but it's all free and it's all available for you.
So, uh, you know, let us know below, like, is there somebody that you're following
that we didn't mention that we should be following?
Uh, we'd love to, we'd love to check it out and see what's going on.
And, uh, with that, that's all I got, Nick.
Yeah.
I'll catch you on the next one.
Peace out, man.
All right.
About this episode
Automotive YouTube is portrayed as more fragmented, more informed, and more competitive than before. The speakers say viewers now follow the car or project more than a single creator, which makes it harder for any one format to dominate. They also discuss how stretched-out build series can draw backlash, how sponsorships and paywalls are viewed skeptically, and how public comments and social media now quickly correct mistakes and amplify bad advice.
Welcome back to KONIG’s Behind the Wheel Podcast. In this episode, we take a step back and look at the state of automotive content in 2026—how we got here, and where things might be headed next.
There was a time when car culture lived in the pages of magazines like Super Street and Import Tuner. You’d wait weeks (or months) for the next issue to drop, soaking in builds, tech features, and industry trends. Fast forward to today, and everything has changed. Content is instant. The options are endless. And the way we consume automotive media has completely evolved. With great channels like @mightycarmods , @CleetusM , @chrisfix , @speedacademy , @BisforBuild , etc…. there’s no shortage of automotive content out there now.
At some point, the upgrades that make your car exciting can start to make it… miserable.
Now, it’s all about YouTube, social media, and a constant stream of creators pushing out builds, reviews, hot takes, and everything in between.
We’re talking about machines like the Dodge Neon SRT-4, the cult-favorite Nissan NX2000, the bizarre-but-brilliant Infiniti FX50, and more that completely defy expectations.
But with so much content out there, we have to ask:
What do enthusiasts actually want to watch in 2026?
Are we oversaturated with the same formats?
Do we miss the depth and storytelling of older media?
Or is this the best era of automotive content we’ve ever had?
Nick and Matt dive into:
The shift from print to digital and what we lost (and gained)
The rise of automotive YouTubers and evolving content styles
Algorithm pressure vs. authentic builds
Viewer expectations in today’s fast-paced content cycle
What WE want to see more (and less) of going forward
Whether you’ve been in the scene since the magazine days or you’re part of the new wave of digital-first enthusiasts, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
2026 Behind the Wheel Podcast | All Rights Reserved
Thank you for tuning in, and if you enjoy our podcast, please SUBSCRIBE! We’re on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and iHeartRadio, and we always upload our full video interviews on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/konigwheels (we’d love for you to subscribe there as well!) Thank you for listening!
