80s Cars & Cocaine You Gotta Watch Narcos: Mexico

These days, we’re all looking to escape our Corona-infested, home-bound, quarantined nonsense however we can. Well, I’ve got great news for you, unless of course, you’re a budding Mexican drug lord attempting to dethrone the post-Escobar Colombian regime. Oh, you’re not? Great, let’s go then. Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico Season 2 is a thrilling, beautifully realized series that is sprinkled with a delightful assortment of awesome 80s cars. The vehicles are so wonderfully sourced and perfectly placed, it makes watching the show even more fun. Let’s look at the highlights:

Vintage Trucks

Narcos: Mexico Season 2 is all about the Mexicans upping their game from marijuana growers to big-time cocaine traffickers. Even the women get in on the action.

And you bet all that blow isn’t going to move itself. So they do what smart Mexicans do, they get the wonderful, oversized American pickups in on the game. Whether they’re hiding in the back, firing machine guns from the beds or simply packing them with bricks of dust, the variety is fantastic.

Yeah, with a belt buckle like that, you know this guy doesn’t drive a Tercel. If you think his ride cool, wait for the …

Narcos Love Jeeps

To me, this was possibly the greatest part of the show. There were so many great Jeep appearances, from full-on military vehicles to first-gen Cherokees, it feels like maybe one of the producers has a soft spot for them.

I’d also give the producers extra points for having this Colombian drug lord not only sitting in an Army jeep but also in a gold velour tracksuit. Bravo, my dude. It’s like chocolate and peanut butter. Oh don’t worry, our main man Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo also gets his Jeep on, like in this fantastically dated Renegade:

OG SUVs

And when the Feds move in on Felix, the automotive eye candy really amps up.

While they’re mainly seen in a Grand Wagoneer, agent Walt Breslin and his posse roll in a spectacularly cool fashion. And when all of the agents caravan, get ready for a parade of glorious 80s SUVs including the enormous Chevy Blazer, a few Cherokees, and even a Bronco. It is a great reminder that American 80s cars weren’t just rad, they were badass.

And here’s the part where I ruin a thing or two:

80s Easter Eggs

Nowadays, we associate drug lords with obnoxious, flamboyant sports cars and monster trucks (the real El Chapo drove a chrome-trimmed Hummer H3). But when the Narcos: Mexico Tijuana plaza bosses start rolling in the cash, they make a less obvious, more elegant choice:

Sure the Jaguar XJS is bright yellow, but you can do that when you’re paying off the cops.

So if you’re looking for a place to escape to during these trying times, I suggest you head south of the border courtesy of your remote and be sure you bring along your driving shoes.