Man pumped $30,000 into the ‘world’s ugliest car’ to try win a competition set up by Jay Leno
- An American YouTuber restored his Suzuki-X90 to try and win a Jay Leno show
- Henry from Donut spent less than $30,000 transforming the ugly X-90 SUV
- Leno bet that if Henry didn’t win the event, he would have to give him the car
Published on Feb 06, 2025 at 6:49 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 06, 2025 at 6:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A YouTuber from the American channel Donut has spent $30,000 on a Suzuki X-90 SUV in an attempt to turn it into the world’s ugliest car and win a Jay Leno competition.
Donut presenter Henry is going to take part in the ’30 Under 30′ competition that Leno runs in Rhode Island, the location where this car was bought.
The show is about people under the age of 30 who spent $30,000 or less on restoring their car, with the results then judged.
Leno doesn’t think Henry can do that to this X-90, so this video sees the YouTuber attempting to change his mind while driving to the show.
The comedian also agrees to a bet that if he doesn’t win his class, he gets to take the car from Henry.
Other YouTubers will help restore the Suzuki
Henry will use the help of other YouTubers to restore the car, visiting them on the way to Rhode Island.
With $13,000 already spent on the car, that leaves just $17,000 to restore the X-90.
Thirteen upgrades will be applied to the car in total, with new differentials first up to handle the X-90’s massive tires.
Matt’s Off-Road Recovery is the first YouTuber Henry visited after an 11-hour drive to Utah.
While the Suzuki is there, off-road upgrades, such as some new off-road sliders, are fitted.
Later in the video, the X-90 also gets a brand-new paint job.
The cosmetic restoration includes the fitting of Recaro seats and a brand-new steering wheel.
An engine swap comes thanks to an old Chevrolet
Rather than massively upgrading the engine, Henry swaps the X-90s with a 2.0-liter engine from a 2003 Chevrolet Tracker.
This SUV is a cousin of the X-90, and the swap increases power from 95HP to 127HP.
Following on from the restoration, the Suzuki looks completely different. It is clean, colorful, and fresh, with even the engine bay getting a makeover.
Despite setting himself a massive challenge, Henry manages to make it to the show in his restored X-90.
Leno was skeptical of Henry’s chances of winning the 1980s and 1990s category at the event.
However, Henry was lucky enough to share the win with a 1983 Porsche 944, which meant that he could keep the car and it wouldn’t go to Leno’s garage.
In the end, Henry spent $29,053 restoring the Suzuki SUV.
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