This was a huge year for the automotive content powerhouse known as Hoonigan. With over 2,000,000 YouTube subscribers, hundreds of videos with millions of collective views, and their newly released Twitch stream the content just keeps coming.
In 2017, I released my Hoonigan Daily Transmission Best of 2017 list. I do not believe anyone has written more on the internet about Hoonigan than me and I cannot exactly write a “Daily Transmission Best of” for 2018. Why can’t I? Well, part of the way through 2018, Hoonigan rebranded its popular Daily Transmission series into a YouTube show format for better organization through the week and to allow fans who like a certain type of content they produce to tune in on specific days.
So for 2018 I will simply pick the best videos Hoonigan offered in 2018 across all of their shows and specials.
Before I get into my list I want to talk about Gymkhana TEN. Gymkhana TEN is not on my list, sacrilege? No. Gymkhana TEN is simply its own powerhouse in my opinion. With over 10 Million views as of writing this it is the “Thanos of 2018 Car Content”. If you somehow are not one of the 10 Million people who have seen it check it out and also check out The Gymkhana Files on Amazon Video.
Let’s first talk about some Honorable Mentions.
Honorable Mention #1 – DTT 223: Extreme Off Road: King Of The Hammers 2018
Every car enthusiast knows Larry Chen is one of if not the best automotive photographers in the world. This video allows you to follow Chen as he covers one most gruelling events, King of The Hammers.
Honorable Mention #2 – DT 214: Daily Driver Drag Race – 16 Car Shootout
Everyone knows the Hoonigan guys have some great cars. Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto owns one of the first USA based RWB Porsche’s, Hert has the internet famous TwerkStallion, but you might not know what the production assistants, editors, and even Scotto’s assistant drive to get to work. Hoonigan compiled everyone’s daily drivers into a 16 car shootout.
On to the list, starting with #10.
#10 – Field Trip: Racing Supercars in Vegas w/ Alec Hohnadell
Many race car drivers have day jobs, Formula Drift drivers are no different. Formula Drift driver Alec Hohnadell may moonlight as a Formula Drift competitor, but he spends his days at the exotic car program Dream Racing in Las Vegas. Larry Chen and Vin Anatra stop by to drive some Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s and their race car counterparts before hopping into some Dream Racing drift cars.
#9 – Build Breakdown S1 E10 – Hert Shreds His Fire Breathing Rotary Powered Mazda RX7 – The Twerkstallion!
Hert’s Twerkstallion has fame from Hoonigan’s series The Unprofessionals, but it rarely gets thrashed in the Donut Garage’s lot. That changed in this video.
#8 – “The Baja Duo” – Field Trip Season S4 E1 and E2
Back in 2017, the Hoonigans bought a $2500 VW Bug affectionately referred to as the ScumBug with one goal to chase the Baja 1000. For 2018, they actually made it race worthy and returned.
#7 – DT 229 – Huge Air Bronco Jump!
Trucks and all other off road capable vehicles have been some of the more entertaining guests at the Donut Garage. Usually jumping off the dock or driving up the dock, a Bronco visited and wanted to launch into orbit.
#6 – Knuckle Busters S1 E8 – Thrash testing our Scrapyard M3 Build: Knuckle Busters FINALE!
Hoonigan’s Shop Foreman Dan Sommer is an experienced mechanic. He previously worked pit crew in Formula Drift and showcased his car build skills on the first season of Knuckle Busters. He took a “seen better days” BMW E36 M3 and turned it into a track weapon. This video is a culmination of all of that hard work when he finally tests the car on Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs for its dual purpose as a GRIP and DRIFT weapon.
#5 – Build Breakdown S2 E2 – Is This the Most Savage Man Line Thrown Down to Date?
Before becoming the winner of Hoonigan’s second Hoonigans Wanted contest. Up and coming drifter Micah Diaz stopped by with his BMW drift car and destroyed tires in a way only a Hoonigan fan would understand.
#4 – DT 194 – Tanner Foust Ultimate Smokeshow Man-Line in VW Drift Passat
Tanner Foust is currently a top competitor in the Americas Rallycross (ARX) series, but his true fans know he was a force to be reckoned with in Formula Drift where he won two championships, in 2007 and 2008. A few years ago, Foust returned to Formula Drift for select events in a V8 powered VW Passat. This thing has 8 to 1 headers to exhaust and sounds glorious.
#3 – Build Breakdown S1 E1 – 1000HP Full Carbon Fiber BMW E92
Formula Drift driver Kristaps Bluss brings by his full carbon fiber BMW E92 drift car. The car is already achieving cult like legend status. The car was supposed to debut in 2018, but a crazy set of events at the last event of the 2017 Formula Drift season made it go from show car to a drift car passing tech and racing all in one weekend. In the video below, Bluss thrashes his work of art days before the first event of the 2018 FD season at Long Beach.
#2 – DT 237 – BJ Baldwin’s Full Tilt K5 Blazer
BJ Baldwin was my choice last years best video when he stopped by Hoonigan’s Donut Garage with his Toyota Tundra based Trophy Truck. This year he brought his Chevy Blazer build affectionately named Loki. He jumps all around the lot and even throws in some two wheel action.
#1 – ScumBag Labs S1 E4 – Can Dish Soap Stop a 600 HP AWD Rallycross Car from Launching??
Steve Arpin is one of the nicest guys in all of rallycross. This year he joined the Hoonigan team to race alongside Ken Block for the ARX series. Joining Hoonigan means he gets to get in on the fun and in this video Arpin helps the Hoonigans test out what happens when you launch a car on dish soap. Fun fact, in only 4 months this has become Hoonigan’s most viewed non-Gymkhana content currently sitting at 7.1 million views.
What did you like from my list? What did you think I should have added? I would love to hear in the comments below.
Check out more of my content like when I drove a Ferrari on track without going over 25 miles per hour or when my M3 decided it wanted to die. You can follow me on Instagram and Twitter.
