The top ten viral car videos

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Some Youtube videos are too cool to keep to yourself. When they get sent to all corners of the globe, they're viral, and when they're car related, they're even better. Yesterday we asked for your favorite viral car videos, and here are the top ten.

Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our Jalopnik summer feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!


10.) Why Did You Turn?

Suggested By: Subasaki

Total Views: 614,524

Why It's Awesome: Oh Brian. We'd like to say we're sorry to see your Civic not quite make it into the back of the U-Haul you rented, but we can't. Instead we'll say that you may have overreacted: it doesn't look like it would have mattered if your girlfriend turned or not. Those ramps were bound to fail, and you're an idiot to have thought otherwise. But thanks again for the meme.

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Photo credit: Youtube


9.) Buick Jump

Suggested By: lackdude

Total Views: 44,688

Why It's Awesome: The Duke boys ain't got nothin' on these gentlemen. They successfully launch their Buick off the road and onto the Internet, creating one of my all-time favorite YouTube clips. Props for their attention to safety: most wouldn't think of spotters with walkie talkies along the route, but points off for choosing a street lined with trees for the landing area.

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Photo credit: Youtube


8.) The Whistles Go Wooo!

Suggested By: mboris

Total Views: 2,798,698

Why It's Awesome: It was probably a pretty slow news day at Oakland's KRON when they catapulted Bubb Rubb and Lil' Sis into national stardom. Little did they know at the time that their "whistle tips" story would become one of the Internet's most famous videos, spawning countless remixes and fan tributes. Unlike another Internet celebrity though, the whistle tips pair don't appear to have gone on to bigger and better things.

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Photo credit: Youtube


7.) Ken Block's Gymkhana 3

Suggested By: E34 is an underrated E30... Except better

Total Views: 33,506,906

Why It's Awesome: Ken Block's gymkhana series of YouTube videos demonstrate some of the most impressive car control on the Internet. And as seen right here on Jalopnik, the third installment might be the best. Sending a rally-prepped Ford Fiesta up a wall, and performing low-margin-of-error moves without a scratch, equals a winner of a video. Ken Block, we salute you for doing silly things with ridiculous cars.

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Photo credit: Youtube


6.) Rémi Gaillard's Real Life Mario Kart

Suggested By: nibby68

Total Views: 41,281,688

Why It's Awesome: Unfortunately for professional disturber of the peace Rémi Gaillard, banana peels don't work so well on real cars. His exploits driving a go kart through the streets of Paris make me want to pull out the old Nintendo 64 and fire up some four-player. Points for his costume, bonus points for use of actual bananas, but minus a whole bunch for getting stopped by the Gendarmes.

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Photo credit: Youtube


5.) BMW Films "The Hire"

Suggested By: Dravs

Total Views: 87,091

Why It's Awesome: BMW produced a number of short films in 2001 and 2002 to promote their then-current range of cars. Featuring Clive Owen as The Driver, a hot-shoe for hire who was sent around the world to transport important cargo in various BMW models. Created originally as branding material, the movies were of high-enough quality to be reviewed by the New York Times and Time Magazine, which boosted their visibility. They were distributed originally on DVD by dealers, but found new life on the internet, being viewed by over 11 million people by the end of 2001, with millions more over time. Here, enjoy the Godfather of Soul doing his thing with Gary Oldman and a special guest.

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Photo credit: Youtube


4.) Backwards Camper

Suggested By: 1ready2vette3go

Total Views: 3,799,966

Why It's Awesome: The little hatchback is struggling but seems to be doing mostly okay on its way up the hill, despite all the smoke pouring through the cabin. It's "running a bit rich," a bystander says snarkily. Then, with off-camera foreshadowing provide by the sound of a starter motor and grinding gears, the caravan leads the car on a hilarious return trip. It's Benny Hill without the "Yakity Sax."

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Photo credit: Youtube


3.) Power Wheels Powerslides

Suggested By: TheSwagger

Total Views: 748,780

Why It's Awesome: I think we all thought for a long time about hotrodding an old Power Wheels car after seeing this one. These guys are having altogether too much fun. The video is only helped more by it's ace soundtrack choice. You can't go wrong with the Reverend Horton Heat and grown men in small plastic cars on snow.

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Photo credit: Youtube


2.) Anesthetic Driving

Suggested By: DaltonColonel

Total Views: 503,644

Why It's Awesome: The best part here is the attention to detail. I don't know how many folks would be heel-toeing under general anesthesia. The sound effects are right on, the shift pattern looks accurate, and the stifled giggling from the cameraman just add to the dentist's office ambiance. What's more, the man is a Jalop! DaltonColonel, what were you driving?

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Photo credit: Youtube


1.) C'était un rendez-vous

Suggested By: lonestranger

Total Views: 84,961

Why It's Awesome: This is the original viral car video. It's so old, it was around before the internet! Director, writer, cameraman, and driver Claude Lelouch took to the streets of Paris early one morning in his Mercedes-Benz 450SEL with a camera strapped to the front end and captured one of the most iconic and famous pieces of car-related cinema ever. Engine sounds were later dubbed in from his Ferrari 275 GTB, which led viewers to believe that this was the car used in the run. Other rumors said that a mystery Formula 1 driver was at the helm, that Lelouch was arrested at the film's first screening for reckless driving, and that speeds of up to 150 miles per hour were reached druing the drive. Some of these may be true, others are definitely not, but the movie still stands as one of the coolest of all time. Though this version has under 100,000 views, we know it's been seen by far more eyeballs than YouTube lets on.

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Photo credit: Youtube