The Fast and Furious film franchise is a long-running Hollywood film series that began with underground street racing and grew (or deteriorated, if you’re a die-hard fan of the first few editions) into films about international fugitives with supposedly eternal hearts. With each consecutive film, the franchise progresses deeper into the realm of absurdity, and with an ever-increasing scale comes automobiles that become wildly popular as a result of their appearances on the big screen.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s about vehicles. On-screen persona of Paul Walker There is no denying that the Fast and Furious saga has displayed some of the greatest and most revered cars, often even affecting said cars’ sales for the better. Whether it’s the multi-million dollar, rarest of the rare cars that the crew destroys with no care in the world, or the multi-million dollar, rarest of the rare cars that the crew destroys with no care in the world, there is no denying that the Fast and Furious saga has displayed some of the After all, watching your favourite characters smoke out the competition with their own vehicles makes you invest in the cars as well, which leads to those ‘hero cars’ being more popular, selling more, becoming the go-to car skins in video games, or, at the very least, increasing Google searches.
With that in mind, here are 10 of the finest hero vehicles from the Fast and Furious franchise, which have become an indelible part of pop culture as a result of their appearance on the big screen.
1. Dom And Letty’s Plymouth Roadrunner
In and of itself, the Plymouth Roadrunner is a legend. Viewers erupted in glee when they learned that the appearance of a purebred American muscle vehicle in an underground Japanese auto meet-up could only mean one thing: Dominic Toretto’s return to the franchise, which was first seen in Tokyo Drift.
The Plymouth was later seen being driven by Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty Ortiz in the fourth film, and was the vehicle in which she ‘died.’ It was also seen in the seventh film of the Fast and Furious franchise, when Dom and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw collided head-on.
2. 1966 Ford GT40
Fast Five was a pivotal film in the franchise’s history, as it marked the beginning of the series’ gradual transformation into action-packed heist films. Despite this, it managed to strike a good medium ground and remains a popular film. The Ford GT40, the Ferrari Killer, was introduced to the audience in the first act.
This car was significant not only for Ford, but for the whole racing business, as it ended Ferrari’s dominance at Le Mans and went on to win for several years. It’s also the second automobile on this list to have an unique chip that served as a MacGuffin in the film franchise, and while it was only driven a few times, the blue and white paint scheme was instantly recognisable.
3. Brian’s Skyline R34 GT-R
Brian’s Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R is, once again, one of the franchise’s most famous hero vehicles, as well as one of the most instantly recognised. The automobile was also the star of the somewhat unknown and consequently underappreciated Turbo-Charged Prelude, which was discovered by Brian in a used car lot between the first two films.
Brian made a name for himself in the Miami underground street racing scene with the Nissan Skyline R34, to the point that he earned the nickname ‘Bullet.’ When the series came to an unceremonious conclusion at the hands of an EMP harpoon against the authorities, it was one of the saddest events in the whole saga.
4. Han’s 1994 Mazda RX-7
Han Seoul was introduced to the franchise in Tokyo Drift, when he took a shine to Sean Boswell’s out-of-place demeanour and offered to assist him catch a ride and teach him how to drive sideways. Han’s ride did not disappoint, since one of the coolest characters in the tale must have one of the best cars.
Han drove (till the very end) the iconic Mazda RX-7 FD, which is still considered one of the greatest vehicles in the franchise. The RX-7 even won the finest automobile award at the Grand Prix exhibition in 2005, thanks to a bespoke body constructed by Japanese aftermarket manufacturer Veilside.
5. Sean’s Lancer EVO
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift was a spin-off film that came after the first two films, and despite the fact that fans were sceptical because neither Paul Walker nor Vin Diesel were in the film, Tokyo Drift has become one of the franchise’s most beloved films.
Sean Boswell, anxious to create a reputation for himself in Tokyo, pits himself against the ‘Drift King,’ DK San, despite having no prior experience in drifting. Sean learnt how to drift in this stunning red Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, which was provided to him by the resident cool guy Han, for the ultimate showdown. Moreover, Keiichi Tsuchiya, the original king of drift himself complimented Sean’s drifting in a small cameo in the movie.
6. Lykan Hypersport
Furious 7 was when the group had progressed from petty thieves to worldwide fugitives, with the authorities occasionally recruiting them for their dirty deeds. The gang lands in Abu Dhabi to steal the ultra-rare Lykan Hypersport from a millionaire’s home in order to acquire a computer chip that houses the God’s Eye computer software (a fancy MacGuffin, to put it that way).
When things went bad for Dom and Brian, they decided that the best way to acquire what they needed was to drive the $3.4 million hypercar off a tower and into two more! This is a scene that etched itself into the list of most outlandish Hollywood blockbuster scenes ever, and with it, the Lykan Hypersport became even more popular than it was.
7. Brian’s 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
While Walker’s Brian O’Connor did drive a convertible Eclipse while on the run from the cops in 2 Fast 2 Furious, it is significantly less noteworthy than the one he used at the start of the Saga, almost beating Dominic Toretto in a drag race until the vehicle gave out. As legendary as the car is, it also gave birth to one of the franchise’s most meme-worthy scenes, the inane ‘Danger to Manifold’ scenario.
It’s also the first automobile O’Connor drove throughout the series, establishing his identify on-screen, which adds to its significance. Sure, he got chided and ridiculed by Dominic for blowing out the piston rings on this Eclipse, but Toretto was Brian’s best man several years later, so it did all end well.
8. Dominic’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T
Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, which he kept in his garage, was precious to him because it belonged to his father. Toretto meticulously rebuilt the car from the ground up but never raced it, until in the first film’s conclusion, when he went toe-to-toe with Brian’s Supra before being blindsided by an incoming truck. (Neworleansathleticclub/a>)
Dom’s Charger has been a recurring character in the Fast and Furious franchise, appearing in various films throughout the years. It also made the automobile probably the most iconic in the franchise, with Vin Diesel receiving his own 1970 Dodge Charger for his 52nd birthday from the Fast and Furious family.
9. Brian’s 1995 Toyota Supra MK4
The 1995 Toyota Supra MK4 was the classic 10-second vehicle, and it became an instant legend when it first debuted in the franchise’s first film, back in 2001. It’s also the automobile that outruns a Ferrari on the highway, quickly elevating it to one of the world’s most desirable vehicles.
It was also the one that Brian gave to Dom at the conclusion, cementing their relationship and setting the stage for a series of ‘family-heavy’ stories in later films. The Supra adorned every fanboy’s bedroom walls, wrapped in Troy Lee Design’s Nuclear Gladiator skin. Fun fact: this Supra was just sold for nearly half a million dollars, demonstrating its enduring desirability.
10. Suki Honda S2000
Suki, played by Devon Aoki, is a bright yet strong heroine who leads an all-female squad of illegal street racers and makes car vinyls like a pro. Suki’s Honda S2000 is an all-pink vehicle that wonderfully suits the character’s attitude and is one of the most vivid automobiles to have graced the screen in the franchise in 2 Fast 2 Furious.
The S2000 even manages to be a token Fast and Furious vehicle, keeping up with the best in a street race while jumping over a high drawbridge and landing without collapsing, losing its entire front bumper in the process but still finishing the race. Oh, and it somehow had pink nitrous flames to match the color scheme, which made it all the more preposterous yet memorable.