Browse over 9,000 car reviews

8 September 2017

Auto ASMR is a thing and it's here to make you tingle

By Matthew PritchardMatthew Pritchard
These car sounds might give you goosebumps in a way you aren't expecting...

Have you ever heard of ASMR?

It stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and, chances are, even if you've never heard of it you've experienced it.

Uh... Maybe...

The thing is it's a phenomenon that only started getting mainstream attention a few years ago. On top of that there's a chance that you just... don't experience it. If you want a full run down on it I suggest watching this episode of SciShow:

If you haven't, or you don't want to, or you think watching a five minute video is a pain, here are the cliff notes: Have you ever heard something that's made you get all... tingly? Like if someone whispers in your ear? Or if you really enjoy the crinkly sound a bag of chips makes, or you enjoy the sound of fingers tapping on different objects.

All of those are ASMR triggers, they can cause what is sometimes referred to as "low grade euphoria", that is to say, it makes you tingle in the nicest way (there is a car connection here, I promise, there's just a bit of background information).

With the internet being the internet and catering to... well... pretty much anything and everything, there is a huge amount of content designed to deliberately trigger ASMR, so you can give yourself the tingles whenever you feel like it from the comfort of your couch, bed, desk or train station.

Some people (myself included, don't judge me) use it as a way to relax and fall asleep, and there's an enormous amount of really specific content out there.

As I mentioned earlier, do you like the crinkly sounds of a bag of chips? You're covered:

(Stay with me, the car stuff is coming)

Do you like to listen to people chewing gum? Yep, you're all good:

(Seriously though, there IS a car connection, I swear, just stick with me a little longer)

Do you want to role play that you're a house plant? Hey, no judgement here. You do you. Also, you're catered for:

So with all that, it stands to reason that there is Auto ASMR (SEE! I told you!).

Some of them are simply quiet sounds from inside a car that's either driving or stationary.

If you're someone who easily falls asleep when you're a passenger in someone's car, I can imagine this could be quite relaxing.

There are also tapping videos where people fiddle with different noises you can make with the car's interior. Like this video here set inside a 2013 Toyota Corolla (I mean if there was ever a car that was going to put you to sleep...)

And there are ones where ambient noise is taken from inside the car, like this one which is just ten hours of a car sitting in the rain at night.

But, like I said before, this being the internet there are a whole bunch of auto ASMR videos that are a lot more... niche.

For example, how about a role play video where you're dealing with a car salesperson? Not just any car salesperson, but a rude car salesperson who insults you! (Again, no judgement here, if this is your thing then this is your thing)

Like I said before, there's a chance that none of these will do it for you. But if the sound of fingernails tapping a Corolla's steering wheel got you all goosebump-y then congratulations! You experienced ASMR! Good for you!

I recommend jumping headfirst down that YouTube rabbit hole and find out what you like. Then you can recommend it to your freinds and make everyone uncomfortable when they find out you're relaxed by the sound of gum chewing, or even better, fingernails on cheap plastic interiors! Yay!

Did any of these give you the tingles? Do you have ASMR recommendations? Whisper them to us in the comments below.