WhistlinDiesel Archives

For most YouTubers, setting a Ferrari on fire generates views. For Cody Detwiler—better known to his millions of fans as WhistlinDiesel—it may have generated something else: a felony charge.

The Tennessee-based content creator, famous for bending, breaking, and outright obliterating expensive machinery in the name of internet entertainment, was arrested this week in Williamson County. The charge? Tax evasion related to his 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo—yes, the same one he bought, drove, wrecked, and eventually filmed fully engulfed in flames.

And in true WhistlinDiesel fashion, the video hasn’t stopped working overtime.

A Burning Ferrari and a Very Interesting License Plate

In the now-infamous clip, the F8 burns to the ground wearing Montana plates—a detail that likely caught the eye of more than just fans.

Montana LLC registration has long been the worst-kept secret among wealthy car enthusiasts who prefer to skip paying their home state’s sales tax. Registering your supercar under an out-of-state LLC is perfectly legal in Montana. In places like Tennessee, however, authorities are far less amused when residents lean on that loophole.

And according to the indictment, that may be exactly what investigators think happened.

The Charges

Detwiler and WhistlinDiesel LLC are each facing one count of tax evasion, a Class E felony under Tennessee Code § 67-1-1440(g). The statute covers any attempt to “evade or defeat any tax due the state” when the amount exceeds $500.

The indictment mirrors that threshold precisely, alleging that Detwiler tried to avoid “sales tax due on the purchase of a 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo.” What isn’t clear is whether Tennessee believes:

he never registered the car in the state at all,
or
he attempted to dodge taxes by registering it under a Montana LLC.

For context: WhistlinDiesel LLC is indeed registered in Montana, a state that has practically turned tax-friendly vehicle registration into an industry.

With more states cracking down on the practice, it’s no shock Tennessee has taken an interest.

The Arrest and the YouTube Response

Detwiler was arrested and booked before being released, then took to social media—naturally—posting clips of the arrest along with the caption:

“Won so big they thought I was cheating. (100% real not AI)”

He later added:

“I didn’t do ANYTHING.”

His trademark bravado remains intact, but the legal situation is very real. Detwiler is scheduled for arraignment on November 19.

We have reached out to Detwiler for further comment and will update the story if he responds.

What This Means for the YouTube Wild West

The case taps into a larger trend: popular automotive YouTubers pushing boundaries—mechanical, financial, and now legal—for the sake of content. When a Ferrari burns down for millions of viewers, it’s entertainment. When it burns wearing plates that may hint at tax strategy, it becomes evidence.

As for WhistlinDiesel, the man who once turned a $400,000 supercar into scrap for views is now dealing with something far harder to total: a felony charge that won’t simply melt away.

Source: WhistlinDiesel via YouTube

Money is not for everyone, especially those who get rich quickly and become ostentatious and arrogant. They try to defy everything without holding anything sacred. Just to show that they can do it. One of them, on the YouTube channel WhistlinDiesel, published a video in which he does crazy things with the Ferrari F8 Tributo.

Ferrari is one of the biggest car brands in the world and has always taken care of its cars, trying to preserve and protect its name. In his apparent attempt to defy the Ferrari company, the YouTuber didn’t hesitate to be extremely cruel to his car. The title of his video says that he bought a car just to destroy it.

He drove the car on grass, gravel and mud. He also managed to climb up the muddy hill. While driving, he deliberately hit the fence of private property. As he passed between the trees, a branch ended up in the opening of the hood. At the end of the ride, he just stopped next to the man using the sander, sparks flying towards the car.

Finally, he gave the car a rough wash with a high-pressure washer. In the end, he and the other members of the team threw tools at the car, which was placed in a protective balloon. Of course, the car withstood it all.

Ferrari F8 Tributo is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8 engine with 710 hp (522 kW) and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. This car was not purchased new, it had 3,000 miles on the odometer.

How Ferrari will react to this video remains to be seen.

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