MOVIE STAR CARS

Whether they’re used as a plot device or are just acting as a symbolic reflection of a  character’s personality, cars have always had their rightful place in cinema. In this article, we’ll discuss 4 memorable appearances from cars that graced the big screen.

Iron Man: Audi R8

Beyond being recognised as the man that kickstarted Marvel’s siege on 21st-century pop  culture, Tony Stark is a character well known for his extensive collection of extravagant cars.  The Audi R8 featured in the first Iron Man movie undoubtedly sits at the pinnacle of this  collection. Audi was keen to find the R8 a role in the movie and eventually managed to  convince director, John Favreau, to use the R8 as Tony Stark’s personal car. The 2008 R8 is  powered by a mid-mounted, 420HP, 4.2-litre V-8 engine capable of reaching 62mph in only  4.6 seconds. The bodyshell weighs in at just 210kg, which is made possible by Audi’s Space  Frame body constructed from Aluminium. This ensures the R8 remains agile enough for a  man that already spends most of his life encased in metal. Visually the R8’s design is sleek  and elegant, exactly the type of car you would expect from a genius billionaire playboy  philanthropist. 

Transformers: Chevrolet Camaro 

Michael Bay’s original Transformers film was the first time that fans of the shapeshifting automobiles got to see the franchise’s iconic black and yellow flagbearer Bumblebee in live action. The character was brought to life as a gorgeous fifth-generation Chevy Camaro,  which became a recognisable symbol of the film. Chevvy enthusiasts will be quick to point out that the fifth iteration of the Camaro was released in 2010, three years after the movie’s  2007 release date. So how did it appear in the movie? To pass the petrolheads’ eye test and the rigours of shooting a Bay film, the car used for the movie was a prototype built on a  Holden Monaro chassis and fitted with body panels taken from the 2006 Camaro Concept car. This workaround seemed to have worked, as the golden yellow Camaro is still

commonly associated with Bumblebee and the Transformers. Funnily enough one of  Bumblebee’s main adversaries in the film is a Ford Mustang. Coincidence? we think not!

2 Fast 2 Furious: Suki’s Honda S2000

The striking pink Honda S2000 makes its debut in a race sequence where Suki – who also  happens to be draped in pink – damages the front of the vehicle whilst clearing a surprise bridge jump, though still manages to complete the race. Most of the cars used for the jump scene had roll cages installed, however, this was harder to conceal in the S2000, so the production team used a dummy and a remote-controlled version of the car for the stunt.  The S2000 in the movie is wrapped in pink vinyl and is kitted out with several appearance mods including 18” Motegi Racing rims, a VeilSide Millenium body kit and airbrushed artwork. This S2000 was born to be on the big screen as the car used by Suki is a modified version of the exact same S2000 used by Johnny Tran in the first Fast and Furious movie.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Ferrari 250 GT California 

One of the most famous scenes from this 80s cult classic is when Ferris, unbeknownst to his good friend Cameron’s father, borrows his rare Ferrari 250 GT California. Whilst an actual  250 GT was used for the inset shots, director John Hughes realised that destroying a real  250 GT would be too expensive and so instead opted to use three replicas for the movie.  The copies were meticulously created by Modena Design and Development to be indistinguishable from the real thing. They used a Ford V8 engine as well as a fibreglass shell, the latter specifically for the famous glass window scene. It’s even rumoured that the car was constructed with an automatic gearbox as Matthew Broderick didn’t know how to drive manual. Given only 56 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California’s were made, car enthusiasts across the globe are forever grateful for John Hughes’ decision to avoid wrecking one of the originals.

Credit: Wasim Uddin