Online Features
Hot wheels: Best Movie Cars
Hot wheels
By Drew Tewksbury, Special to Metromix
Speed Racer may be this summer’s too fast, too furious hellion on wheels, but the rad racer’s Mach 5 isn’t the only of revved-up star of the silver screen.
From the Batmobile to the General Lee, click through for a look at the baddest, freewheelin’-est hot rods in film history, rated on a pimped-out scale of 1-10.
“Batman Begins” (2005)
Hot wheels: Batmobile
Specs: “Batman Begins” unleashed the toughest Batmobile to race through Gotham’s streets, complete with building jumping, police car smashing, and general bad-assery. Narrowly beating the sleek curves of the Corvette Stingray in Tim Burton’s adaptations, this militarized Batmobile is top notch tough. It even helped erase the painful memory of nipples on the batsuit.
How pimp is this ride?: 9; There’s not much it can’t do.
“Grindhouse: Death Proof” (2007)
Hot wheels: Chevy Nova
Specs: Breakneck speed and neck-breaking wrecks made Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” a buffet of motorized mayhem. Stuntman Mike’s (Kurt Russell) shoe-shine black 1970s Chevy Nova embodies demolition derby chic with its skull and lightning bolt emblazoned hood and rubber duck hood ornament.
How pimp is this ride?: 8; It’s one killer killing machine.
“Knight Rider” (1982-86)
Hot wheels: K.I.T.T.
Specs: K.I.T.T. comes fully equipped with all the tricked-out features: turbo boost, surveillance mode, and a snarky English wit that never fails to challenge the not-so staggering intellect of Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff). The black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am easily hugs the curves in canyon roads, or jumps over miscellaneous obstacles. The radical roadster struck fear into any criminal who glimpsed its flashing red light in their rear view mirror.
How pimp is this ride?: 8; Much cooler than Hasselhoff’s music career.
“Ghostbusters” (1984)
Hot wheels: Ecto-1
Specs: Fighting ghosts is never an easy gig. Luckily for the wise-cracking parapsychologists of “Ghostbusters,” they had the Ectomobile. The tricked-out 1959 Cadillac ambulance was ahead of the SUV curve, perfect for haunted house calls, holding proton packs and fighting off an impending ectoplasm-covered apocalypse.
How pimp is this ride?: 7; The only car we know of that can withstand a cataclysmic marshmallow explosion.
“Back to the Future” (1985)
Hot wheels: De Lorean DMC-12
Specs: Sure Doc, Marty and Biff may have brought the “Back to the Future” trilogy to life, but the silver bullet De Lorean was the real star. Whether racing to 88 mph to outrun Libyans, or flying high over the future Hill Valley, the De Lorean’s “flux dispersal” durability was unmatched.
How pimp is this ride?: 8.5; The trash-fueled hybrid was way more stylish than any Prius today.
“The Love Bug” (1968)/”Herbie: Fully Loaded” (2005)
Hot wheels: Herbie
Specs: Everyone loves a Volkswagen Bug, especially when it’s a self-driving, rascally little guy like Herbie. The 1963 classic car-turned-speedster spawned a nearly four decade-spanning franchise thanks to sweet racing stripes and a pesky habit of falling into adventures from Mexico to Monte Carlo.
How pimp is this ride: 6.78; Not nearly as bodacious when Lindsay Lohan drove it, “Fully Loaded.” (Think Disney regrets that title now?)
“The Road Warrior” (1981)
Hot wheels: Ford Falcon
Specs: If you ever find yourself in a post-apocalyptic Australian outback overrun with punks in S&M gear, it’s best to have a way to get the hell out. Mad Max’s 1973 Ford Falcon—with suped-up nitros, headlight covers like Kanye’s sunglasses and a trusty self-destruct switch—provides the perfect escape from motorcycle-riding hellraisers.
How pimp is this ride?: 8.5; Even cooler than anything in Tupac’s “California Love” video.
“Men in Black” (1997)
Hot wheels: Ford Crown Victoria
Specs: It may look like a well-kept version of your grandma’s klunker, but the 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria packs a punch under its hood. Even Agent J (Will Smith) had his doubts, “Unlimited technology from the whole universe and we cruise around in a Ford P.O.S.?” But with a push of a button, the Blackmobile goes from stale to stellar, as its rocket-propelled, traffic adverting tunnel antics won over even the stodgiest of skeptics.
How pimp is this ride?: 7.5; Would be a little sweeter if it had dubs dropped on it.
“The Dukes of Hazzard” (1979-1985)
Hot wheels: General Lee
Specs: For cousins Bo and Luke Duke of Hazzard County, Georgia, there’s no better way to tear trough back country roads than in the General Lee. The deep orange 1969 Dodge Charger had no problem evading the corrupt Boss Hog gang of bumbling sheriffs by busting through hay bails or jumping over creeks. (We’ll try to pretend the movie never happened…)
How pimp is this ride?: 9; The only car to have a Johnny Cash song written in its honor.
“Die Another Day” (2002)
Hot wheels: Aston Martin Vanquish
Specs: James Bond has it all: thrilling adventures, beautiful women, and, best of all, seriously suave cars. But none of his rides quite compares with the 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish of “Die Another Day.” It has everything you’d expect in a Bondmobile—missile launchers, ejector seats, and machine guns—with one absurd sci-fi twist: an invisibility device. Who would ever want to make such a beautiful ride disappear?
How pimp is this ride?: 9.5; Stunning design you wouldn’t even let a valet touch.
Related posts:
Discussion
No comments for “Hot wheels: Best Movie Cars”
Post a comment