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Animated cars with eyes for windshields. Muscular guys beating the snot out of each other while trying to evade local police? Yeah, it must be summer—but all we care about are the cars. In movies like Disney-Pixar’s Cars2 and Fast Five several new models – and few classics – make their cameos. By John Brandon![finn]()
Finn McMissile This “British intelligence” character is based on James Bond's classic Aston Martin DB5, originally released in 1963. McMissile is outfitted with various gadgets and rocket-launchers. He mistakes the main character Mater for a government spy during the multi-race World Grand Prix event in England. The DB5 used in the Bond films sold at auction for a cool $4.6 million last year.![charger]()
2011 Dodge Charger The lead characters in "Fast Five" race each other in stolen 2011 Charger Police Pursuit Vehicles. The 370 horsepower, 5.7L HEMI V8-powered behemoths were outfitted with extra exhaust coolers in the rear for long-range driving at high speeds, puncture-resistant tires, and improved NIVOMAT shocks. The filmmakers wrecked dozens of Chargers making the film and damaged about 300 cars in the movie, most of them in the climactic scene.![lewis]()
Lewis Hamilton The 2008 F1 champion makes a cameo appearance in Cars 2, just like seven-time champ Michael Schumacher did in the first film. Hamilton’s black F1 car is based on the McLaren MP4-12C, which will make its racing debut in July at the Spa 24 Hours in Belgium. The 592-hp twin-turbo endurance racer serves as inspiration for the movie, but the cartoon cars use emblems and fender styling that are not quite a match.![classiccharger]()
1970 Dodge Charger Dom, the lead character in Fast Five who is a wanted criminal, drives around in a classic, all-black 1970 Dodge Charger early in the movie. It’s the second-generation version with a few slight alterations (mostly in the fender and hood) from the 1966 original. With 390 horsepower, the 1970 version was almost as potent the newly design 2011 model at 392 horsepower. Does it live to appear in another sequel? You’ll have to see the film to find out.![frank]()
Francesco Bernoulli Another racing opponent of Lightning McQueen in the World Grand Prix, this F1 knock-off is the favorite to win in Italian round of the series. The name comes from Daniel Bernoulli who developed theories about fluid dynamics in the mid 1700s that are used in the design of racing cars today.![gs]()
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport In one of the most thrilling moments in any summer movie, Dom drives a 1963 Corvette GS out of a moving boxcar, then races up next to his pal Brian, who is dangling from the train and about to collide with the side of a bridge. The 1963 model, which had a 360-horsepower V8 engine and could go 0-60 in about six seconds, was a real rarity: GM only built five of them. The other cars in the train sequence were a Ford 1966 GT40, which one the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row, and a 1971 DeTomaso Pantera.Cars of the Summer Movies
Actors are so 2010, this year cars are the stars.
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- Cars of the Summer Movies
