Octane Magazine was launched in May 2003 following a chance meeting between writer David Lillywhite and publisher Geoff Love.

In 2021, Octane and the rest of Dennis Publishing's automotive assets were spun-off into an independent company, Autovia.

In 2023, Hothouse Media, publisher of Magneto, purchased the magazine, leading the re-unification of Robert Coucher, Sanjay Seetanah, Geoff Love and David Lillywhite, the four original founders of Octane.

Octane strives to "feed the appetites of the most hardcore enthusiasts, both old and new," and primarily features news and market analysis, as well as buyers' guides.

Octane has featured writing by Pink Floyd co-founder Nick Mason, American television host Jay Leno, AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, and driver Tony Dron, as well as many others.