8 Of The Most Epic Monster Trucks Of All Time
Extreme sports are full of crazy displays of talent you simply don't get in conventional sports. In the automotive world, one of the most extreme sports has to be monster trucks. The idea is fairly simple: They're giant vehicles with bodies that resemble any variety of production pickup truck or SUV — but also oftentimes don't — sporting a giant set of wheels and tires taller than most people, and hugely powerful V8 engines you'd expect to find in something like a top fuel dragster (unless we're talking about the newly electrified Bigfoot).
In North America and beyond, monster truck competitions are handled by Monster Jam. Every year, Monster Jam events gather these oversized machines for the ultimate battle of four-wheel-steering donuts, jumps, flips, and running over wrecks. The whole Monster Jam lineup is jam-packed with some epic creations, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. However, only a handful can truly bear the title of the most epic monster trucks of all time.
Mohawk Warrior
How's that for a name? Mohawk Warrior has been part of the Monster Jam lineup since the early 2010s and has become a decorated champion. Obviously, the most distinctive feature adorning the Cadillac Escalade bodywork is the giant mohawk on the roof, made of fiberglass broom bristles. Due to its theme, hair salon Great Clips came on board as a sponsor in 2016, and it's been supporting Mohawk Warrior and the team behind it since then.
Like the rest of the Monster Jam lineup, power comes from a massive big-block V8 — nothing like the small-block V8 you might be used to — and there's a BMT tire mounted at each corner. Mohawk Warrior is also known for its paint scheme and graphics. Black and purple is always a great combo, not to mention the screaming... well, mohawk warrior on the side, lined up perfectly to match the mohawk on the roof.
To make things even better, as well as taking home two titles in Atlanta and San Antonio, Mohawk Warrior currently holds the world record for fastest monster truck, achieving a ridiculous top speed of 100.3 mph on the drag strip. 100 mph in a normal car is pretty serious, so it's tough to imagine how terrifying it would be in a vehicle like this.
JCB DIGatron
At least from an aesthetic standpoint, construction site vehicles share a lot of similarities with monster trucks — dump trucks, excavators, that sort of thing. JCB is a leader in the construction vehicle industry, and its 1,106 hp Fastrac Two Tractor shows it knows how to have fun with speed. It makes all the sense in the world for a monster truck resembling one of JCB's iconic excavators to exist. That's exactly what the JCB DIGatron is.
Featuring official backing from J.C Bamford itself, the DIGatron is designed to resemble one of the company's classic backhoe loaders. The bucket, boom, and hydraulic cylinder assembly are mounted on the rear, albeit in a much smaller and non-functional form. It also features the legendary yellow paint finish, as well as the all-glass door that's standard practice on excavators and similar construction vehicles.
Even though the DIGatron is a very recent addition to the Monster Jam lineup, joining in late 2023, it's already on track to become a legend. Construction equipment-inspired monster trucks just make sense, and the DIGatron is the latest in a line of similar Monster Jam icons like the dump truck-inspired Earth Shaker and Dozer. It took home a championship recently, so it's definitely one to keep an eye on.
Raminator
Take one look at the Raminator, and it's very easy to see where the name comes from. Raminator has been part of the Monster Jam lineup since 2002, and eventually, Dodge came on board as its main sponsor. The most notable item about the Raminator's exterior is the giant embossed RAM logo on the sides, which also has red eyes in most iterations.
Obviously, the bodywork is based on a contemporary RAM pickup truck, and the Raminator even uses a HEMI V8 straight from Dodge, just like you'd find in its legendary muscle cars. It makes well over 2,000 hp in this application — just enough to run over some wrecks, right? Before Mohawk Warrior dethroned it, Raminator set a speed record for monster trucks at Circuit of The Americas, ticking the speedtrap at 99.1 mph.
Even though it has changed appearance a couple of times throughout its competitive career, Raminator has been owned by the Hall Bros. Racing Team since 2002. As well as competing in Monster Jam, it's also a show vehicle, touring all over the United States for most of the year and doing monster truck activities outside of the confines of a stadium. It's definitely a machine worth checking out.
Shaker
Developed by a passionate father and son team, Shaker has been a part of the Monster Jam repertoire since 2014, initially getting its start in mud racing. Shaker's name is a tribute to the people who served in the Vietnam conflicts, which is something that simply doesn't happen in other motorsports. For 2024, the truck received an all-new red paint scheme, though the formula stayed pretty much the same as before: a custom chassis built by The Metal Shop with a fiberglass replica body of a 1967 Kaiser Jeep M715 on top.
For the longest time, Shaker ran with a darker camo finish, once again tying into the inspiration for its name, and that's how most Monster Jam fans remember it. This was also the first-of-its-kind fiberglass shell fashioned after that specific Jeep model. Under the skin, the Metal Shop Gen X frame and chassis hides a 1600 hp supercharged V8, as well as your standard fare of nitrogen shocks and BKT tires.
Shaker is a very decorated truck on the Monster Jam grid, and it also has a good amount of pedigree to go along with that, as one of the guys behind it used to drive Backdraft, the star-studded fire engine monster truck.
Monster Mutt
We're getting into the proper icons of Monster Jam now. Monster Mutt is one of the most recognizable trucks in the lineup, not least because of the bodywork. Rather than using a fiberglass replica of an Escalade, a RAM, or even a Kaiser Jeep, Monster Mutt's fiberglass shell takes its inspiration from man's best friend. There's a nose and tongue at the front, angry gritted teeth on the sides, floppy ears on the roof, and a big tail at the back.
As well as the original Monster Mutt, there are three other versions known as Dalmatian, Rottweiler, and the retired Junkyard Dog. While the former two are pretty self-explanatory, Junkyard Dog is essentially Monster Mutt with additional patina, and perhaps ironically, it's the only one of the four to use a production car body shell, specifically that of a classic 1950s lead sled Mercury.
Monster Mutt has also enjoyed a fair amount of success in the Monster Jam circuit, taking home the title at the 11th world final in 2010. While almost every dog out there is approachable, this one has a firecracker burning below it. Proceed with caution.
El Toro Loco
What's better than one animal-inspired monster truck? Another animal-inspired monster truck, natch. A horned behemoth like El Toro Loco couldn't have a more appropriate name. Once again, no messing around with any pesky production body shells, El Toro Loco's aesthetic takes inspiration from a raging bull. It features hood scoops that resemble a bull's nose, gritted teeth (one of them being gold), and of course, horns pointed forward. The only thing missing is a pierced nose.
Introduced over 20 years ago, El Toro Loco took home a championship title in 2004, and it has continued to do a fantastic job in Monster Jam competitions throughout the years. El Toro Loco is actually an evolution of another bovine behemoth from the 90s and early 2000s named Bulldozer, and the inspiration is clear on the outside. One other crowd-pleasing feature of El Toro Loco is the steam that comes out of the front nostrils, obviously mimicking an angry bull about to charge. Currently, a large team of drivers is behind this crazy bull, and we hope it stays a part of the Monster Jam lineup for years to come.
Maximum Destruction / Max-D
Still on the topic of monster trucks that prefer something outside the confines of reality for bodywork, we have Maximum Destruction, or Max-D. This time, instead of taking its inspiration from the animal kingdom, Max-D appears to be inspired by the world of Mad Max, which is getting a prequel very soon. The bodywork doesn't bother with any sort of curves, and the spikes dotted around speak for themselves. The engine face, for lack of a better term, on the sides of the truck also looks like something you might see in Mad Max. The cult of the V8 — if you know, you know.
Thanks to its low-slung bodywork, Max-D also has surprisingly good aerodynamics for what it is. One of the drivers behind Max-D is also one of the most successful in the entire sport, bringing home 14 world champion titles in the last decade. According to the official lore, Max-D is what would happen if one day, a machine became sentient and tried to take over the world.
With the way Max-D handles plowing through wrecks and grabbing absurd amounts of airtime, it's definitely a future we wouldn't want to see. When in control of one of the many drivers that handle it, it is properly exciting to watch.
Grave Digger
No conversation about monster trucks can go on for long without mentioning Grave Digger. This truck is a veteran in the world of Monster Jam — stadium crowds have been cheering for it for over 40 years. The first Grave Digger originally appeared in 1981, and since then, it has become the face of Monster Jam. It's what most people think of when they hear the term "monster truck."
Grave Digger's body shell is one of the oldest on the grid, inspired by a 1951 Chevy panel van. Of course, the bodywork and especially the paint finish speak for themselves. The tube frame painted the same bright green as the details on the bodywork, the black, purple, and green paint finish, and the skull motifs are all legendary. Of course, there's also Grave Digger's iconic red headlights.
What started as a single monster truck has evolved into a brand of its own. There are multiple Grave Diggers, multiple drivers, and even the derivative Son-uva Digger. It has won multiple world championships since 1981, and it will more than likely continue to be the main face of Monster Jam for fans of all ages. It's also a huge merchandise seller for Monster Jam, with everything from toys and T-shirts to a fantastic licensed Grave Digger LEGO set.