WheelHouse

Nissan is responsible making many of us fall in love with cars! Their heritage dates back to Datsun and their Datsun 510 sedan and pickup truck. Then we got the Skyline and the Silvia, and from there the rest is history. Nissan went on to dominate race circuits with the Skyline GT-R in all its variants, Gran Turismo made the Calsonic R32 GT-R famous on screens all over the world. Aside from the GT-R Nissan also gave us the 240Z, 280Z, the now infamous 350Z and it’s son the 370Z. And in the drift world Nissan continues to dominate with the S13, S14, and S15. With such an impressive line-up and rich history how exactly has Nissan managed to find itself in the hole? Why is the company on the brink of catastrophe and will Nissan be able to save its impressive heritage?

BMW has M. Nissan has Nismo. Ford has ST. If you see one of these badges, you know the car is serious...Or is it? Maybe some of these badges are...lying? Join Nolan as he explores the history of all of you favorite badges: BMW M, Nissan Nismo, Ford ST, Mercedes-Benz, AMG, Audi S, Hyundai N, Acura and HondaType R- and whether or not they mean anything anymore. This is a spicy one!

You’ve probably scrolled through Instagram and seen the work of artists like Khyzyl Saleem, Ash Thorp, and Jon Sibal. Their art is primarily focused on turning everyday cars into unimaginable dream machines. But have you ever wondered how these renders and car photoshops might be changing the car industry as a whole? If you have seen the latest Tesla Cybertruck, it is very evident that things are changing. And we think we can tell you why this is happening. Join Nolan as he explores the wide world of digital car art, and gives you a list of artists you should follow right now!

WheelHouse answers all the questions about the automotive world you never thought to ask. Nolan Sykes looks at the history, sociology and psychology behind the cars you love, and the features you might overlook.

There is no more popular toy in the automotive world than Hot Wheels. Most of us at Donut were introduced to cars through Hot Wheels, and most still collect them to this day. Much like us there are millions of people that are obsessed with Hot Wheels and have incredible collections. How exactly did Mattel create the biggest selling toy in the world? How did it best companies like Matchbox? And how did a failed guitar design save Hot Wheels from losing to the competition?

We’ve all seen the pictures on social media of people either flexing or selling their cars and they all have one thing in common… people covering their license plates. We started wondering why exactly people cover their license plates and if there is any real danger to showing the internet your plates. Well, we were pretty shocked to find out exactly what it means to expose your car’s license plate to the internet.

As Formula 1 teams like Mercedes-AMG Petronas, Ferrari and Red Bull gear up for pre-season testing, a spectre looms in the realm of motorsports; and it’s name is Volkswagen. Hidden inside mundane press release, VW may have sealed the fate of the F1 world as we know it. How will teams like Mclaren, Renault and Alfa Romeo react? Is Formula One doomed? Will we be left with only small teams like Haas and AlphaTauri? Join Nolan as he finds out!

Are you a bad driver? No one wants to admit it, but you might be and not even know it. Join Nolan as he lays down the law- unwritten laws that is- on driving habits that will make the better place to drive for all of us.

Nissan has been through a lot lately: the ousting of disgraced CEO Carlos Ghosn, to laying off over 12,000 employees, to complaints (by me) that their lineup is stale and uninspired. But with rumors of a new 400z sports car on the way, it’s time to reflect on what the company has done to right the ship.

It seems like every week, a car we used think was cheap sells for big money in some online auction. It’s frustrating, how is the little guy supposed to get a cool car? Nolan thinks he has the answer. In this video, Nolan will show you how to be ahead of the curve, buy a cheap car today, and have that will be truly special in a few years.

We love the car community, but there are a few people out there pulling scams to make a quick buck. But don’t worry, we’re here to protect you. Join Nolan as he explains common and UNCOMMON scams, and how to protect yourself from unscrupulous grifters.

Plum Crazy. Ginsburg Yellow. Grabber Blue. These are just a few of the coolest colors to be put on our favorite cars. But there’s a problem: automakers don’t seem to paint their cars like they used to. Join Nolan and explore what changed in the automotive market, and find out why carmakers choose to be less risky with their color palettes. It’s a problem!

Augmented reality, super smart cars, CARS WITH SCALES!!! These are just a few new features that automakers are beginning to outfit their rides with right now! It’s 2020 baby, we’re living in the future! Join Nolan and explore the tech behind these innovations, and why cars shouldn’t have skin. It’s weird, okay?

Front engine, mid engine, rear engine- what’s the difference? Well today we’re gonna find out! Join Nolan and break down the difference between engine placements, and how manufacturers change the nature of a car by moving it’s engine!

Holden was once Australia’s most iconic automaker, but just this year, General Motors has announced that their Aussie brand will no longer exist by next year? What happened? Join Nolan and explore Holden’s long history, from their coach-building roots, to the beloved 48-215, to the Monaro, the beach cruising Sandman and to their DOWNFALL. What really happened behind the scenes? WHO KILLED HOLDEN?

We hear it all the time: “Electric cars are better for the planet”. Statements like that have been the foundation of electric car builders like Tesla for over a decade. But is it true? Join Nolan and take a deep dive into the manufacturing process, and see just how much energy goes into building a car. We’re gonna find out if electric rides are better for the Earth once and for all.

We at Donut have a deep love for Japanese cars, you probably do too. But did you know the reverse is true in Japan? Today we’re looking at some American cars that are surprisingly popular from Japan: from Jeeps, to big American sedans that used to be driven by organized crime, to one of the nuttiest drift scenes ever! These American rides are truly BIG IN JAPAN!

Cars have come a long, long way in the past fifty years, not only sports cars, but economy and family cars as well. In fact, some of these more “boring” have surpassed classic sports cars of yesteryear. Join Nolan and see what exactly makes today’s cars better, and why that’s not necessarily a bad thing for older cars.

We all know iconic movie cars like the Fast and Furious Supra, The Bullitt Mustang Fastback, and the Dukes of Hazzard Charger, but what about cars from movies that aren’t about cars at all? Today we’re looking at cars that played a supporting role on the silver screen, and we’ll finally give them a chance to shine!

Why don’t race cars, the most dangerous cars on earth, have airbags? The answer seems straightforward, but it’s not as simple as you might think. Join us as we explore the impact-filled history of race car safety, and how each crash pushed safety forward to where it is today!

Wagon, Targa Top, Brougham- the classifications we give cars can seem endless, but there's actually good reason for why we name cars the way we do. Spoiler: a lot of it has to do with carriages. Lol. Join Nolan and take a DEEP dive into the history of car naming conventions. Do you know them all? I bet you don’t!

Formula 1 title sponsors are sometimes just as iconic as the cars their names are painted on. But have you ever seen a sponsor and wondered “What the heck is that?”. We have too. Join Nolan and explore some of the sketchiest sponsors in F1 history; some recent and some almost too far fetched to believe. Also, we’ll figure out what the heck a Mission Winnow is.

Pianos, luxury yachts and sausages are probably not what you think of when you imagine your favorite car brand, but these are just some of the products we’ll be discussing on today’s episode. Some car companies collaborate to create products outside of their wheelhouse, while others were making unexpected products before they even started building cars. Great, now I’m hungry.

Ever since the first automobiles, aerodynamics have been evolving and getting better. From breaking the 100 k/ph to Bugatti breaking 400 k/ph more than 100 years later, join Nolan he explores the aero designs that shaped our modern cars.

Racing is back! But don’t let that distract you from all the craziness that went down in virtual sim racing lobbies. From the first cancelled races to grassroots organizers setting up virtual events, to the juicy drama around sponsors and dubious crashes, we saw it all online. Join Nolan for all the triumphs and downfalls that quarantine served up, it’s a wild ride.

You’ve seen them on trailer hitches around the country: nuts on trucks. But did you know that for their entire existence, these novel and very often nasty accessories have been embroiled in legal turmoil? Well wonder no longer. It’s time to get nutty.

Have you ever watched a car video and been confused by complicated car terminology? Well this is the video for you. We’re covering everything from unibodies to torsion beams, brake horsepower to transaxles, rod knock to blinker fluid and everything in between!

In the past 20 years, many tech companies have stepped up to the plate and built their own car. Problem is, none of them have caught on. Why? Today we’re gonna find out. From the first “tech company” car by Westinghouse, to Samsung, Dyson, Sony, Apple and even Amazon. Also, why does Tesla call themselves a tech company? They make cars, what gives?

Chevy, GMC, Ford and Dodge all battled in the early 1990's to make the fastest high performance street truck the world has ever seen. Join Nolan as he explores the timeline of these amazing machines and figures out why these companies made them in the first place.

Movie cars are always cool, but can the owners of Gone in 60 Seconds or Back to the Future sue you for build Eleanor or a Delorean Time Machine? What do you have to do to stop your movie replica from becoming a legal nightmare? If you want to build a Batmobile, or a Jurassic Park Jeep, or a Fast and Furious Supra, there's some things you'll need to know. Nolan takes a look at some of the most recent cases to rock the car world, and we find out exactly what puts a project at risk of being shut down.

It’s a simple question: Which state has the best used cars? We did the research so you don’t have to. Not only will we tell you which of the 50 states has the best, but we’ll also cover which has the worst, and the answer may surprise you. It surprised me!

We look at the motocross in the context of the extreme sports phenomenon of the late 90s, and how it influenced pop culture. I will make the case that motocross was the most culturally relevant motorsport since 60s NASCAR, and celebrate figures like Travis Pastrana, Ricky Carmichael, and the McGrath v. Stewart rivalry. Motocross was the coolest thing ever to young Nolan, even if he wouldn't ride a motorcycle until 20 years after the fact. All of my friends loved it and wore MX branded clothing, I think it definitely contributed to me getting into cars.

The Recreational Vehicle, or RV has been a staple of the American road trip since before the US ever had highways. From the humble origins in covered wagons to the present day high tech behemoths that can cost up to six-figures, join Nolan as we explore America's obsession with glamping.

Bronco hype is in full swing after Ford revealed the long-awaited sequel to the OG SUV back in July. But the Bronco isn't alone! Ford's longtime rival Chevrolet had their own SUV rehash in the Blazer over a year ago! But why didn't the Blazer create as big a splash? And why might that not matter? We're gonna find out.

Tesla is the undisputed king of electric vehicles. The Model S, Model 3, and Model X were groundbreaking cars in their own right, and there seems to be no end in sight for the California automaker. But one question remains: Why are established brands having such a hard time keeping up? Mercedes, Chevy, and others have all released their own EVs - but none of them have touched Tesla. What’s up? We’re gonna find out

Did you know that the Mini Cooper is a full three feet longer than it was when it first came out? Cars are getting bigger every year, and it's not just compact cars, EVERY type of car is getting buff. But why? Join Nolan as we explore the cultural, technological and safety factors that are making cars bigger, and figure out: how big are are they going to get?

Ferrari's Formula 1 team is having a bad 2020. Like, really bad. Where did the legendary team go wrong? We talked to three F1 youtubers: Tommo F1, CrankyYankeeF1, and Matt Gallagher from WTF1 to find out. From drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Charles LeClerc, to Team Principal Mattia Binottom, to the car itself- what's wrong at Ferrari? And when will their fortune change?

Do you think you have what it takes to be a stunt driver? We talked to some of the best drivers in the business, who have driven in movies like The Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift and Dukes of Hazzard, and they gave us an insight into what it actually takes. Join Nolan as he takes a deep dive into the secret world of stunt driving and answers the question: is it impossible to become a stunt driver?

Canada produced 2.4 MILLION cars last year, so why have we never heard of a purely Canadian Car Manufacturer? The thing is, there used to be Canadian car companies, but not anymore. What happened? And why doesn't Canada have a badge to call their own?

Have you ever wondered what's inside of a hearse? Or what that curved bar on the side does? Join Nolan as he looks at the centuries old history of the creepiest car on the streets, and how its style has evolved over time.

Have you ever wondered how your favorite cars end up in your favorite racing games, and how how game developers make them feel like the real thing? Nolan interviewed the fine people at Codemasters (Dirt series, Grid series, F1 series) to find out!

Monster Trucks are rowdy 1500 horsepower beasts that fly, flip and flail 50 feet up in the air. But where did they even start? And how long have they been around? Join Nolan as he explores how one of America's favorite pastimes started as one man's hobby.

GM shocked the industry when they partnered with EV startup Nikola to make an electric truck. But nobody expected the controversy that would follow. Is GM making a huge mistake? Is Nikola a scam company? Will the Badger be a total fail? Nolan does a deep dive on allegations of fraud, scandalous lawsuits, and all the controversy surrounding the deal.

The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on our way of life - but one unforeseen effect has made driving in US cities way more fun... but also way more dangerous. Join Nolan as he explores exactly how shutdowns, curfews and layoffs have made our roads and highways treacherous playgrounds.

When the topic of reliability comes up, its doesn't take long until the name Toyota is mentioned. Whether its million mile Tundras, indestructible Supras, your grandpas Corolla that just wont die even though the oil hasn't been changed in 5 years. many manufacturers make a reliable car here and there or maybe and era of reliable cars, but few OEMs make as many tried and true cars as Toyota. So what's their secret? in this video Nolan explains exactly what Toyota has done to make reliable car after reliable car. We take an in depth look at the concepts of Jidoka, Kaizen, and JIT. Don't know what that means? then you've got a video to watch!

If you love cars, then you gotta love Cars, the animated film trilogy from Disney Pixar. Lightning McQueen is the star of the franchise but there are hundreds of other unique car characters in the Cars cinematic world. In this video, Nolan gives us a little background on the making of the films and dissects the logic of a world where cars are people and people don't exist. But most importantly, he ranks ALL the cars in Cars.

A Porsche SUV seemed unfathomable in the 90s, but when the legendary Stuttgart automaker's fortunes changed for the worst- it became obvious that it was the right direction. So how did Porsche translate their iconic design language and driving feel to an SUV? We're gonna find out.