Photo: Netflix
If you enjoy working on cars, driving them, or even just watching them on the screen, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from on Netflix. The streaming service boasts an extensive library of original movies and shows that are sure to hit the spot when you’re craving the excitement of a pedal-to-the-metal race or the satisfaction of pulling off a successful car restoration.
Ready to put together the perfect Netflix gearhead watchlist? Here’s a list of shows and movies to get you started.
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These eight titles are just a sampling of all the original car shows — both scripted and unscripted — that you can find to watch on Netflix.
Your interest in The Crew will probably depend on how much you like Kevin James, who stars in this multi-camera sitcom about a veteran NASCAR crew chief, his team, and their humorous clashes with a new racing team owner who wants to shake things up.
Aimed at younger viewers but still a fun binge watch for all ages, this series is based on the blockbuster Fast & Furious movie series and follows the adventures of Dom Toretto’s young cousin as he and his crew try to infiltrate a criminal organization’s racing league.
In each episode of this reality show, “sleeper cars” with high-performance modifications drag-race against supercars from the likes of McLaren and Lamborghini. Both seasons end with a championship round where episode winners compete for ultimate bragging rights.
If you’ve ever wanted to get into Formula 1 racing, this series is a great place to start. Each Drive to Survive season covers an entire Formula 1 championship season, giving viewers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the sport’s most compelling conflicts and personalities.
In this addictive reality competition show, skilled street racers take on a special challenge: driving custom supercars around diabolically difficult automotive obstacle courses. It’s described by the show’s producer as “American Ninja Warrior meets Fast & Furious.”
Across three detailed but fast-moving episodes, this docuseries takes an in-depth look at the famed car designer, the iconic vehicle he created, and the dark secrets and lies that ultimately derailed his ambitions.
If you’ve watched every season of The Great British Baking Show and want more Paul Hollywood in your life, check out this series. In each episode, the celebrity chef drives across a different European country on a quest to learn more about its unique car culture and auto racing history.
After causing a fatal crash, two illegal racers are forced to go on the run and hide out in Mexico City. That’s just the beginning of all the drama, intrigue, and behind-the-wheel action that this Spanish-language series has in store.
As NASCAR’s most successful Black driver in decades, Bubba Wallace is one of the sport’s most compelling subjects. This six-part series follows his exploits on and off the track as he pursues racing success while emerging as an outspoken advocate for justice in the wake of 2020’s George Floyd protests.
Image: Netflix under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0
Do you prefer your automotive action in movie form? These seven Netflix original films will provide you with plenty of high-octane thrills.
This gritty French-language crime flick specializes in two-wheeled action. The central character is an aspiring pro motorbike racer who’s forced into a life of crime as a drug gang courier so he can pay off his ex-wife’s debts.
After finding out that their old friend is at death’s door, two buddies and their friend’s estranged daughter pile into a classic Renault 4×4 (that’s the “4L” in the movie’s title) and do the movie road-trip thing, heading across the desert on a Spain-to-Timbuktu trek to visit the dying man.
In this grueling action movie (not to be confused with Cold Pursuit), Liam Neeson stars as a grizzled truck driver on a dangerous mission to rescue trapped miners in remote northern Canada. To reach them, he’ll need to traverse a long route over frozen lakes and (as if the ice isn’t enough) foil a sabotage plot along the way.
Juan Manuel Fangio is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 racers of all time. This compelling documentary tells the story of the legendary driver’s life, from his rise to prominence to the five championships he won in the early years of F1.
Lost Bullet (along with its Lost Bullet 2 sequel) is one of the better action flicks in recent years. It’s a lean, mean thrill machine about a French getaway driver who’s faced with a no-win choice: either stay in prison or help the police by helping them custom-build cars to catch drug smugglers in high-speed chases.
Set during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, this rollicking South Korean action-comedy follows a team of drivers as they go undercover to fight a criminal gang of corrupt ex-government officials.
In this tough noir thriller, a getaway driver (played by Frank Grillo) starts getting mysterious phone calls during a bank robbery gone wrong. Now, he must follow the caller’s instructions while trying to protect his family and discover a double-crosser’s identity.
These movies and shows are currently available on Netflix — and because they’re all Netflix Originals, they’ll be there whenever you want to watch them and won’t leave for other streaming services.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.
