Best car shows to watch on Netflix: a petrolhead’s guide

Binge watch the best car content Netflix has to offer with our comprehensive guide

Lamborghini Huracan in Hyperdrive

by Curtis Moldrich |
Updated on

You’re probably reading this at home, and you’re probably quite bored, too, aren’t you? We’ve already put together a guide of everything you need to know around the Coronavirus epidemic, from which events are cancelled to how to clean your car– but we also want to provide some entertainment for car fans around this time.

To help make the lockdown a little more interesting, the CAR magazine team got together (remotely) and came up with this list of the best car-centric shows to watch on Netflix. If you’re a gamer, it’s also worth checking out our best racing games piece, too.

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Car - Best Netflix shows for petrolheads

Hyperdrive1 of 6

Hyperdrive

What do you get if you mix Total Wipeout with Fast and Furious? Vin Diesel on a bouncy castle, or Hyperdrive, a new Netflix-produced series available to watch now. The premise is simple: heavily-modified drift cars from around the world take on an assault course, with obstacles called things such as 'the leveller,' 'walk on water' and 'forced perspective.' Yes.As you'd expect, it's a total neon-soaked mess with a cast full of characters, only punctuated by shouting from the commentary team which includes a faux Connor McGregor with an accent from somewhere in the British Isles. Throw in the grunting of V8s and Wankels tuned to within an inch of their life and phrases such as 'I love this country' - it's all very silly, but effective entertainment. TV-nerds will appreciate its 4K and HDR visuals.Obviously, we love it.

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story2 of 6

Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story

Come for the bittersweet but overall inspiring story of Willy T. Ribbs – the first black driver to compete in the Indy 500 – and stay for a revealing look at American motorsport. As you'd expect, his story begins with a great deal of racism, but the against-the-odds narrative and general charisma of Willy himself balances out the sourness. Throw in a supporting cast of engineers and fellow drivers, and you get some context. This is a moving documentary that draws on the experience of some interesting characters in the grass roots motorsport movement, but it also features a bunch of exotic machinery too. It's likely you'll find yourself searching YouTube for TransAm clips after it's finished. Well worth a watch.

Rust Valley Restorers3 of 6

Rust Valley Restorers

Rust Valley Restorers focuses on dreadlocked hoarder Mike Hall and his restoration business in Tappen, British Columbia - better known as Rust Valley. Hall has built up a collection of 400 crumbling classic cars, and using his life's savings has founded a workshop to turn his collection into a business, with a ramshackle crew of helpers on hand to turn them from (quite literal) rust to (optimistic) riches.The problem is, he buys more wrecks quicker than he can restore and sell them... With business sense to make the Dragon's Den cast weep, it's part restoration show, part soap opera, with in-fighting and disasters making this oddly compelling viewing. This one's a favourite of deputy features editor James Taylor.

Drive to Survive4 of 6

Drive to Survive

Rust Valley Restorers focuses on dreadlocked hoarder Mike Hall and his restoration business in Tappen, British Columbia - better known as Rust Valley. Hall has built up a collection of 400 crumbling classic cars, and using his life's savings has founded a workshop to turn his collection into a business, with a ramshackle crew of helpers on hand to turn them from (quite literal) rust to (optimistic) riches.The problem is, he buys more wrecks quicker than he can restore and sell them... With business sense to make the Dragon's Den cast weep, it's part restoration show, part soap opera, with in-fighting and disasters making this oddly compelling viewing. This one's a favourite of deputy features editor James Taylor.

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee5 of 6

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee

A car fan goes out to pick his mates up for coffee and banter: not exactly the most thrilling-sounding show when you describe CICGC like that. But, when the car fan in question is legendary straight-talking comedian Jerry Seinfeld going to meet some of his friends, former colleagues and fellow comedians, the chemistry is always electric.You're the third person in what is essentially just a conversation, riding along in a car Jerry either owns or has borrowed (which can range from the stunning and super-rare to the wacky) as he chats to the fellow celebrity passenger as they grab coffee, a bite to eat or go shopping.Jerry tries to relate the cars to his guest and, given that some of them are classics, mishaps and breakdowns are plentiful. The conversations can be silly, reminiscent or deep thinking, but always laugh-a-minute. This one was submitted by CAR magazine's staff writer Jake Groves.

Murder Mystery6 of 6

Murder Mystery

Although not as car-centric as the other movies on this list, Murder Mystery is worth using up two-ish hours with. It's a classic Cluedo murder mystery and features Hollywood talent from Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston ­– but despite that, it's quite funny and very entertaining. What's the CAR angle, you ask? Well, most of the mystery takes place in Monte Carlo during the F1 weekend. Tenuous, we know...

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