Coolest Cars in Movies

Sometimes a car in a movie is just a car. Then sometimes a car is an extension of the character. It can represent a theme or an era. There are cars that will come to define a franchise. Every movie lover has that one dream car from a film. The one they fantasize about driving through streets and chases. I have eleven. These are are the coolest movie cars that make up my imaginary garage.

1964 Aston Martin DB5 - James Bond

Making an appearance in not one, not two, but eight James Bond films, and spanning 3 different actors taking on the role, the Aston Martin DB5 is as cool as it gets. The DB5 made its first appearance in Goldfinger with Sean Connery behind the wheel. While initially the film's script only called for a smoke screen, the crew could not resist adding gadget after gadget. As the films progressed the number of gadgets increased. The DB5 has become an icon of the James Bond franchise, selling for over $2 million at auction. No car is better suited for the world's suavest secret agent.

Check out theJames Bond Collection.

1981 DeLorean DMC-12 - Back to the Future

If you saw Back to the Future before ever seeing a DeLorean, you would think the car was made exclusively for the film. It’s just so nutty. From the gull winged doors to the flux capacitor, it doesn't seem like this was meant for universal appeal. Originally the film's script had intended for the time machine to be a refrigerator, but fearing children might try to imitate that and get stuck, the writers agreed on making it a car. Doc Brown spent nearly 30 years and his entire family fortune creating his time machine. All I have to say is money and time well spent!

Check out the Back to the Future Trilogy.

1961 Ferrari GT 250 California - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Ohhh, yeah. Ferris Bueller's Day Off had it right. Steal your friend’s dad’s car, skip school, and go on an adventure through Chicago. This car is so iconic I can’t even think about it without hearing the faint “chickachicka” in the back of my mind. So what if the film used a replica? A Ferrari belongs on the road. If it weren't for this car, Sloane never would have been picked up and Cameron wouldn't have matured. Ferris had the right idea all along. No man with his priorities so far out of whack deserves such a fine automobile.

Check out Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

1969 Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet - The Hangover

The Hangover taught me one thing: if you give your son-in-law your vintage Mercedes before he goes to Vegas, you must be prepared for it to come back with tiger claw marks, a shredded roof, and a destroyed body from when an Escalade rammed into it full throttle. But such things should be expected when you get roofied and lock a notorious Asian gangster in your trunk. At times it felt like this Mercedes had it worse than any of the characters, even Doug. During production in Vegas, the beat up model was stolen over night. During filming the next day, with police holding up traffic, the car was spotted on road and the police were notified, arresting the driver. Vegas, man.

Check out The Hangover.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - John Wick

There are two things John Wick will relentlessly remind you he cares about. The first is his dog. And the second is his car. John carries the weight of his dark past wherever he goes. When he needs to let off steam, he takes his car to the airstrip and drives until his heart is pounding. So when a couple thugs decide to kill his dog and steel his car, his revenge is implacable. His passion for this car carries over into the opening scene of John Wick: Chapter 2. John assaults an entire mob operation to get his car back, only to use it to take down the remaining thugs. While Wick states in the first film that the car is a Boss 429 v8, it is actually a Mach 1. Many of the stunts in both films were performed by Reeves who went through extreme combat and driving training. I eagerly await its return in the final chapter.

Check out John Wick.

1968 390 V8 Ford Mustang GT Fastback - Bullitt

No list of the coolest movie cars would be complete without driving legend Steve McQueen. Bullitt gave us one of the greatest car chases of all time. The muscle car chase scene through the streets and highways of San Francisco won the film the Academy Award for best editing. The film's mass praise has also led to Ford's production of limited edition Bullitt Mustangs twice.

Check outBullitt.

Spinner - Blade Runner

With all these classic cars being featured, it's about time to acknowledge one of the most iconic and mimicked cars in science fiction. The police cruiser, dubbed the Spinner from Blade Runner is one of most unique hovercraft designs in cinematic history. Able to utilize tires for on-ground driving and gravity thrusters for propulsion through the Los Angeles skies, the Spinner became the most used vehicle for police and blade runners. Using designs created by legendary sci-fi concept artist Syd Mead, the production crew created 25 working vehicles. The Spinner has made appearances in Back to the Future 2 and the Star Wars prequels. The sight of Deckard and Gaff flying through the tech-noir night sky will forever be hailed in the annals of sci-fi.

Check outBlade Runner: The Final Cut.

Subaru Impreza WRX STI - Baby Driver

Baby Driver proved that you don't need exotic or muscle cars to get the job done for a heist. All you actually need is a funky soundtrack and sunglasses. Baby’s hot rod red Subaru Impreza outran the entire Atlanta police department. The film used almost no CGI favoring practical effects and stunts to get the best shots and action. They even managed to sync up the action to the soundtrack. The chases were also far more about maneuverability than destruction, making the film a nice departure from the expectation of car action created by the Fast and Furious series.

Check out the Baby Driver trailer.

1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria - Men in Black

K's unassuming Crown Vic left Will Smith with a weak impression, calling it the "Ford P.O.S." It left me with the same feeling. But that little red button left me wondering what the true potential of the car could be. And finally, it happened. K gave J the go-ahead to press the button. Two mini jet engines were unleashed and the car boosted on to the ceiling of the tunnel as traffic inched forward below. The world would have been utterly destroyed by the Arquillians had they not made it to Flushing Meadows in time.

Check outMen In Black.

Bumblebee - Transformers

Bumblebee's Camaro has the most personality of any car on this list. While that might be because it is a robot in disguise, I don't consider it any less true. Bumblebee is one of the last Autobots to be created from the all spark during the autobot civil war and is Optimus Prime's closest friends. He lost is vocoder during the war, and is now forced to use radio transmission to form speech. In the film series, he always takes the form of the latest Chevrolet Camaro concept and forms close bonds with the human protagonist. His loyalty to the cause is unwavering and his humor brings light in the darkest of times.

Check out Transformers.

V8 interceptor - Mad Max

There are dozens of absurd cars to love in the Mad Max franchise, and I am sure you have your own in mind. But when I think about Max Rockatansky as he wanders the wasteland, all I see is him in his Interceptor. And so it has pained me to watch it get destroyed twice. Introduced in the first film at the MFP garage, the Interceptor is based on the 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT351 coupe. He drove it when he went up against Toecutter and Humungus, and lost in when its booby trap exploded in The Road Warrior. My excitement had never been higher when I saw it beside him in the beginning of Fury Road, only to see it wrecked minutes later. The brief moment during the final chase where Max flares with anger at the site of his car and shouts at Slit "That's mine!" was all I ever needed to know that one day it will make a return, despite being blown up again.

Check out Mad Max: Fury Road.