Movie Cars: Five Favorites From The Fast and Furious

Sending it in American muscle cars, European rally cars, and JDM tuners

BY: NICK LAMBIASE
PHOTOS: ALAMY

In 2000, Universal Pictures greenlit an action thriller about illegal street racing. Little did they know they were creating the first installment of what would become, 20 years and eight movies later, one of the biggest movie franchises in history. From the first, The Fast and Furious showcased wild automobiles that range across a diverse spectrum from American muscle cars and exquisite European models to tuner cars from the Japanese Domestic Market. We love all the mad machines in The Fast and Furious but here are five favorites.

1. 1970 Dodge Charger R/T

The 1970 Dodge Charger R/T owned by Dominic Toretto in the first Fast and Furious movie is one of the most iconic cars ever used in any movie. The car was Dom’s father’s, who died in a driving accident and, because of this tragedy, the Charger sat in the Toretto’s garage untouched until the notorious scene at the end of the movie where Dom races Brian O’Connor in his Mark lV Supra. The car boasted a whopping 900 horsepower from a supercharged Chrysler 426 Hemi V8 that can take it a quarter-mile in under nine seconds.

2. 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34

Brian O’Connor’s R34 Nissan Skyline in 2 Fast 2 Furious was not only a memorable car in the movie, but it has also become a hero of the JDM community. Brian buys it at the beginning of the second movie from a dealership, fixes it and drives it to Miami. When he gets to Miami he takes part in a street race where he jumps the car off a bridge and then gets it impounded. The Skyline sported a twin-turbocharged tuned 2.6-liter RB26 engine that put out 450 horsepower – with an extra 150 hp that came with the push of a button from its nitrous system!

3. 1970 Ford Escort MK1 RS1600

The Ford Escort Mk1 was driven by Brian O’Conner in Fast and Furious 6. This car is best known for being one of the greatest rally cars of all time, dominating the podium in the late 1960s and early 70s. Edition “RS1600” was created by Ford as a homage to their rally cars, sporting the same inline 4-cylinder 1.6-liter Cosworth engine, strengthened body panels, and sport suspension. Its premier scene took place while Brian O’Connor and Roman Pierce were being chased by a tank driven by the film’s bad guy, Owen Shaw. Spoiler alert: Roman escaped by jumping from his Fastback Ford Mustang onto the top of the Escort as the Mustang was being crushed.

4. 1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Sting Ray

The Corvette C2 Sting Ray appeared in The Fate of the Furious, the seventh installment in the series. It debuted with Letty Ortiz ripping it down the streets of Manhattan in pursuit of Dom. The car has a 427 cubic-inch big-block V8 that produces 425 horsepower and was paired with a wicked ruby red paint job, period-correct fender flares, and wide rubber to match style with performance. Sadly, the car gets destroyed on the streets of New York.

5. 1971 Jensen Interceptor

The 1971 Jensen Interceptor appeared in Fast and Furious 6 driven by Letty Ortiz. While Dom and Hobbs are chasing Owen Shaw, Letty hits Dom’s car and causes a distraction for Shaw; she proceeds to shoot Dom and run away. Later, Dom races Letty in the Interceptor where he tells her about the memories she had lost. The Interceptor was fully hand-built. The car used in the movie had a swapped LS3 V8 pushing upwards of 450 horsepower. The car has other exterior modifications such as a custom grille, chrome trim deletes, along with black racing stripes.

That wraps up our five favorite Fast and Furious cars. If your favorite didn’t make our list, let us hear it!