Podholic: Cars, cameras and Canadians
If you like thrilling drag races, it’s the place.
POLITELY speaking, Canada mightn’t seem the first place that comes to mind when it comes to anything automotive.
The Toronto-based YouTube channel ‘Sam CarLegion’ might change that perception.
Hosted by gearhead guru Sam Z. Xhepaj, the show's high-octane automotive content has attracted more than 200,000 subscribers. New content is uploaded every few days. The channel specialises in new vehicle reviews, thrilling head-to-head drag races and insightful comparison tests.
Each review begins with a car park,walkaround. From there, it’s onto the freeways and rural back roads for real-world driving impressions, delivering a finely-tuned dissection of powertrain and handling characteristics.
The channel doesn't just talk the torque; it shows it, especially with the three-car drag races, which feature rolling starts and explosive sprints. However, these occasionally skid off the mark with inconsistent launch timing and mismatched vehicle specification/powertrain levels, which throws a wrench into the credibility side of things.
Moreover, while visual quality is generally crisp, some in-car drag race footage suffers from shaky camerawork and inconsistent audio, occasionally muffling the viewing experience.
Despite the high-speed excitement, there's a noticeable bump in the road when it comes to the chemistry between Sam and his crew, which sometimes lacks synchrony.
The channel gears up some direct relevance for Kiwi enthusiasts with a detailed comparison between the previous generation Ford Ranger and its latest iteration. This segment is particularly timely, as the T6.2 Ranger has only recently rolled out in North America dealerships after significant production delays caused by North America’s United Auto Workers’ Union strike.
One of Sam CarLegion’s more appreciable aspects is its minimal advertising. Viewers can watch each video with few interruptions, and those with YouTube Premium can bypass any commercial pit stops altogether.
In essence,Sam CarLegion has hallmarks of being a subscription-worthy show, albeit with a few potholes in production and presentation. It may not be YouTube’s best, but give it a shot.
The Sam CarLegion show Homepage: https://www.youtube.com/@SamCarLegion