Cars in movies – top 5
Each car enthusiast has a movie that makes them smile just thinking of it. You will have the opportunity to read a little more about some of the most cherished cars used in movies.
Number 5
AUDI A8 W12- Transporter 2
This car is taking a serious part in the plot of the movie. Jason Statham needs to chase the bad guys all over the place and the Audi is a serious partner in his mission. The movie is abundant with stunts that the A8 has to perform. Thanks to the massive twelve-cylinder 6.0 liter engine and some driving skill of course, it almost looks easy to do.
Audi A8 6.0 Quattro
Number 4
Nissan Skyline R34- The Fast and the Furious
One of the fastest cars in the world, the dream of the PlayStation generation. The Skylines used in the movie are GTRs but not quite – the purpose of these cars was to draw attention and being all wheel drive, the grip was too much for burnouts and fun. That's why the Skylines used, had their front driveshafts excised and the magic was done. As you already know the GTRs are claimed 280 hp from the factory, which is ridiculous for a 6 cylinder 2.6 twin-turbo engine. Still one of the two fastest skylines used in the movies is claimed 505 hp, which is enough to do 12 seconds in the quarter mile run. The main car used in the movie has been equipped with HKS tuning parts, JIC's suspension and 3 NOS bottles, neither of which had something to do with the engine. Being so full of "extras", AWD and AWS removed, the performance is not quite as what is expected from a skyline though.
Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
Number 3
Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works - The Italian Job
Complicated relations, a lot of money, a lot of thrill and a couple of Mini Coopers as a final touch. In the plot several old friends are trying to get to a huge amount of gold. For the purpose they need small, maneuverable and still fast cars. The Mini Cooper turns out to be the best option for the job. The Aero body kit makes the cars look stunning. Did you know that gasoline-powered vehicles were not allowed in the subway system of LA, that's why a couple of electric cars were built for these scenes? In total 32 Minis were used in the movie, some of them specially customized to make some of the incredible stunts possible.
Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works
Number 2
Volkswagen Beetle - Herbie Fully Loaded
This is a car with a lot of history in the movie world. It has participated in a couple of Disney movies starting in 1968 – The Love Bug. What is strange and interesting about Herbie is that it is almost a human being – has his own thoughts, soul and drives himself. 30 Beetles were used for the footage of the last movie of the series – "Herbie Fully Loaded". One of the beetles has a 200hp engine that is capable of getting the car to over 135 mph. Unfortunately having all the effects of modern cinema, the car looks normal no more. It moves its bumper, blinks, gives out noises etc. Unlike the first movies from the series, where you could just feel that there was something special about the car, some kind of emotion, without making it look human.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle Herbie
Number 1
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 ‘Eleanor' - Gone in Sixty Seconds
The dream machine from "Gone in 60 seconds". Alike the movie, this car is a true masterpiece and quite a mystery. The car is named Eleanor, but initially the plan was not to use a mustang at all. At first the idea was to have a GT40 grabbing the attention. However, it turned out that building one would cost a fortune even considering what the purpose was. Basically it was all making a car from scratch – literally. The car was first put on paper and then various specialists started creating the separate parts and adapt them to fit the Mustang. What not too many people know is that the side exhausts are not functional and neither are the side air feeds. The car in the movie is shown so fast that the driver was scared of it and would talk to it prior to driving. The car ended up in a private collection, $216 700 were paid for the beauty. Still, there are garages that can build another one for you for some (in) decent amount of money.
