Why Did Engine Masters End? The Real Reason Behind the Sudden Stop | HO!!

For nearly a decade, Engine Masters was the beating heart of the American performance car scene—a place where horsepower wasn’t just measured, it was worshipped. Every episode, the crew at Westech Performance in California tortured, tested, and sometimes destroyed engines in the name of truth. Their mission was simple: prove or bust the myths, legends, and marketing claims that have fueled garage debates for generations.

But after eight adrenaline-fueled seasons, the show vanished from screens without warning or explanation. The silence from Motor Trend—the network behind the series—triggered a wave of rumors, speculation, and disappointment. What really happened behind the scenes? Why did Engine Masters end so abruptly? And is there any hope for a comeback?

The Birth of a Cult Classic

Engine Masters didn’t start as a TV show. It was born in the pages of a print magazine, a technical offshoot of Hot Rod, developed by a trio of true gearheads: Steve Brulé, David Freiburger, and Steve Dulcich. These weren’t just writers—they were hands-on builders, dyno operators, and obsessive tinkerers who spent their lives chasing horsepower.

Westech Performance, the show’s home base, was founded in 1993 by John Baechtel and Rick Stoner as a neutral ground for magazine engine testing. Steve Brulé, who would become the soul of both the shop and the show, joined in the late ‘90s, bringing with him a supernatural ear for engine trouble and a reputation as the “carb whisperer.”

When Freiburger realized video could reach a wider, younger audience than print ever could, Engine Masters was reborn as a web series, then a full-fledged TV show. The format was simple: take a popular engine myth, put it to the test on the dyno, and let the numbers speak for themselves. There were no scripts, no manufactured drama—just real data, real results, and real camaraderie among the hosts. The chemistry was undeniable, and the show quickly became a sacred space for gearheads and casual fans alike.

What Made Engine Masters Different

From the very first episode—when a simple bolt-on added 50 horsepower to a 400ci Chevy small block—Engine Masters promised one thing: proof. For years, car media had been filled with bench racing, armchair experts, and untested claims. But at Westech, the only thing that mattered was what the dyno said. Brulé, Freiburger, and Dulcich weren’t just presenters; they were the real deal, veterans of the garage and dyno room, and it showed.

The show tackled everything: the myth that tunnel rams are useless on the street, the debate over carburetors versus fuel injection, and the endless quest for the perfect camshaft or intake manifold. Fans didn’t just love the results—they loved the way the hosts ribbed each other, explained the science, and made even the most technical content feel like a Saturday afternoon in the garage.

A major highlight was the Engine Masters Challenge, an epic showdown where engine builders faced off in a battle of knowledge, precision, and raw power. But even outside the competition, every episode felt like a masterclass in internal combustion.

The Move to TV—and the Price of Success

What began as a modest 12-episode-per-season web series quickly exploded in popularity. As demand grew, Motor Trend expanded the show to 26 episodes per season. The team found that shooting video was, in some ways, easier than magazine publishing—one good engine idea could fill an entire episode, and the unscripted format let the hosts dive deep into their obsession without the pressure of artificial drama.

But with success came change. Motor Trend moved Engine Masters behind a paywall, locking new episodes away from the massive audience that had built the show’s cult following on YouTube. While the series still drew hardcore fans, the shift to subscription-only viewing may have cost it a significant chunk of its viewership. Some insiders believe this was the beginning of a slow decline in the show’s reach and influence.

The Retirement Heard Round the World

The real shock came when word leaked that Steve Brulé—the dyno guru, the go-to authority on engine tuning, and the heart and soul of Engine Masters—had retired. For fans, it was more than the loss of a host; it was the end of an era. Brulé’s sixth sense for engine dynamics, his ability to abort a dyno run seconds before disaster, and his encyclopedic knowledge of carburetion made him irreplaceable.

David Freiburger eventually broke the silence with a heartfelt Facebook post, calling Brulé’s retirement the “end of an era.” He paid tribute to a quarter-century of collaboration but clarified that Brulé’s departure was not the reason for the show’s sudden stop. According to Freiburger, Westech would continue operations, and familiar faces would still be involved in future projects. But for many fans, it was hard to imagine Engine Masters without the man who had defined its spirit.

The Unspoken Factors

If Brulé’s retirement wasn’t the main reason, what else could have caused the sudden halt? Several industry insiders point to a combination of factors:

1. Creative Exhaustion:

After eight seasons and hundreds of dyno pulls, the team had tested nearly every engine configuration imaginable. The creative well may have started to run dry, and continuing the show risked becoming repetitive—something longtime fans wouldn’t forgive.

2. Network Troubles:

Motor Trend, like many niche cable and streaming networks, has reportedly faced a broader slump. With rising production costs, shifting viewer habits, and increased competition from YouTube creators and independent channels, the economics of continuing a high-budget, hands-on show like Engine Masters may have become unsustainable.

3. Changing Media Landscape:

The move behind a paywall alienated some of the show’s most loyal viewers. As free, high-quality engine content exploded across social media, the old model of subscription-based, appointment-viewing TV started to look outdated.

4. Personal Burnout:

Producing 26 episodes a year of high-intensity, technical content is grueling. Even for a close-knit crew, the pace is unsustainable over the long term. With Brulé’s retirement, the chemistry and momentum may have taken a hit that was impossible to recover from.

The Legacy—and What Comes Next

Despite its abrupt end, Engine Masters leaves behind a legacy that few shows can match. It proved that honest, data-driven, no-nonsense tech content could not only survive but thrive in the age of clickbait and reality TV. It educated a generation of enthusiasts, inspired countless home-built projects, and set a new standard for performance media.

For now, the future of Engine Masters remains uncertain. Motor Trend has made no official statement on the show’s fate. Westech Performance continues to operate, and both Freiburger and Dulcich remain active in the automotive media world. Fans cling to hope that the show’s hiatus is just that—a pause, not the final lap.

But one thing is clear: Steve Brulé’s absence is deeply felt, and the unique blend of knowledge, chemistry, and authenticity that made Engine Masters legendary is not easily replaced.

Conclusion: The End of the Dyno-Tested Dream?

In the end, the real reason Engine Masters ended is as complex as the engines it tested. It was a perfect storm of creative exhaustion, network economics, changing media habits, and the loss of a once-in-a-generation talent. For the engine community, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.

But the show’s spirit lives on—in the garages, forums, and YouTube channels where enthusiasts still chase the truth, one dyno pull at a time. Whether or not Engine Masters ever returns, its legacy is secure. The dream may have paused, but the quest for horsepower, knowledge, and honest answers will never stop.