MOTOR's Top 10 videos of 2015

Whether it was a drag strip showdown, or an exploding tyre, you’ve watched, laughed, and cried over videos that defined 2015.

And now, through a countdown of your top-ten most watched clips, you can re-live the entertainment…

1. Mid-engine Holden Rodeo track monster

Australia’s has its share of performance utes… in fact, we invented them. But nothing prepared us for what we spotted at Winton Raceway a casual Friday morning.

Mike Moore’s Holden Rodeo used built a space-frame chassis, a middle-mounted 6L90 V8, and a central mounted seat – like a McLaren F1 for the car in his shed.

What Max Rockatansy would bring to a track day.

2. Falcon XR8 and Holden Commodore SS V Redline drag race

When Ford revived the XR8 with the defunct FPV Miami engine, we knew the Falcon had reached its pinnacle before being put to bed. We had the exact same feeling when Holden pinched HSV’s LS3 and dropped it in the VF II Commodore Redline.

All that was left to do was put these ultimate iterations on a drag strip to see how far each model had come. And despite how different their platforms and power are, it’s a horse hair between them at the 400m mark.

Watch to see who wins.

3. Ford Mustang GT and Holden SS V Redline drag race

Thanks to KPM Motorsport, we were able to meet the 5.0-litre Mustang GT months before its arrival in early 2016.

With the Falcon bowing out next year, and the Commodore holding on until 2017, this match-up will define the V8-performance rivalry in Australia for a while.

Watch to see whether the Commodore has much to worry about in January when the Mustang starts disembarking Ford’s sea carriers…

4. Mustang dyno pull goes very wrong

Heed caution when standing near a dyno. Just because the car isn’t moving, doesn’t mean it isn’t undergoing significant stress.

And as this Mustang owner found out, tyres are just as important as anything else when spinning up the rollers.

If your tyres aren’t up to the job, like in this video, it’ll be amazing if everyone survives unharmed.

5. Toyota’s IS F V8 powered Hilux

Called the Toyota Hilux Racing Experience, the 335kW/600Nm utility pick-up created by Toyota South Africa Motorsport would mean no tradie would ever be late on site again.

With the DOHC V8 from a Lexus IS-F stuffed in its nose, and equipped with race-spec items like external-reservoir dampers, the Hilux Racing is a psychopath at shredding sand dunes as well.

Have a watch and see what we mean.

6. Drag battle: Holden Calais V versus Ford GE Turbo

While they might look like demure luxury sedans, the G6E Turbo and Calais V pack serious firepower. Specifically, a 260kW V8 (now 304kW) in the Calais and a 270kW turbo six in the G6E, which means when we had both in the garage, it was a match ripe for the drag strip…

7. The fastest motorsport on earth

What’s the size of a small TV remote and laps a race track in two seconds? That would be a world championship slot car. And when a bunch of them gather in Helsinki, Finland, you’re given spectacle of what may be the world’s fastest motorsport.

If you like challenges, see if you can keep your eyes on one for a whole lap.

8. One sliding, roaring tribute to Simon McKinley

With an iconic white MkII Escort, Simon McKinley drove his way to internet video fame with a remarkable style defined by on-limit oversteer and otherworldly commitment. Sadly, the four-time hill climb champion passed away this year, but this tribute video is a fitting reminder why we won’t forget him anytime soon.

9. HSV’s blown clubbie takes on Ford’s XR8

In a way the XR8 is an earmark on FPV’s last efforts, while the current HSV Clubsport LSA, shows us how far HSV has come since its cross-town rival bowed out. That is, if it’s any faster, at all?

10. Holden SS V Redline and Ford XR6 Turbo drag race

Sure, we’ve tested their four-door cousins numerous times, but nothing screams Australian motoring more than two ballistic utes firing down a drag strip, with a stopwatch at the other end. The first of many drag battles you lot voted as popular with your eyeballs.