When we came up with our list of Top 10 Movie Cars last summer, we had no idea our readers would be so passionate about their favorite films and the automotive characters in them. With "Transformers" coming soon, we revisited our list, listening to last year's reader feedback and arguing — once again — over which cars deserved to make the top 10. Some cars were able to hold on to their spots, while others were shuffled around to make room for more worthy contenders. With "Speed Racer" coming next year, expect another round of arguing.
No. 10: 2003 Mini Cooper S, "The Italian Job"
Drivetrain: 163-hp, supercharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with six-speed manual transmission; front-wheel drive
Notable Features: 200 pounds lighter than stock Cooper S; painted red, white or blue
Larger cars would have rubbed fenders with light poles and tunnel walls, but thanks to a nimble fleet of Mini Coopers, a band of conspirators manages to escape captors down congested streets, parks and subway tunnels. (Parks? Mass transit? In Los Angeles?) Computer-rigged signals aid the getaway, stopping cross traffic at red lights. Sounds like California dreaming for drivers.
No. 9: 1959 Cadillac Ambulance, "Ghostbusters"
Drivetrain: 325-hp, 6.4-liter V-8; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Tailfins, flashing lights, sirens, attached ladder
Though it plays a relatively small part in its film, the Ectomobile is the finest medical movie car to date. What it lacks in brute force it makes up in style, with red tailfins, strobe lights and more roof gear than a fire truck. Should there ever be a remake, our pick for the new Ectomobile would be the Dodge Magnum. Right, Egon?
No. 8: 1974 Dodge Monaco, "The Blues Brothers"
Drivetrain: 275-hp, 7.1-liter V-8 with three-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks
You usually don't come out ahead when swapping a Caddy for a Dodge — unless the Dodge has a 440-cubic-inch V-8. The Bluesmobile would be our pick if we had to outrun the better half of Illinois police, not to mention a neo-Nazi outfit and a country-and-western band. The car totally falls apart in the end, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that could do better on "a mission from God."
No. 7: 1932 Ford coupe, "American Graffiti"
Drivetrain: 60-hp, 3.6-liter V-8 with three-speed manual transmission
Notable Features: Bright yellow paint job bound to be noticed by bored teens in Modesto, Calif.
Nicknamed the "Deuce," this five-window '32 Ford coupe is the quintessential American hot rod. As built, it came with the engine mentioned above, but in the movie, it's clear the coupe has been souped up. It was the car's awesome growl and the cool drag race at the end of the movie that lodged this hot rod into the hearts of American teens for a decade.
No. 6: 1976 AMC Pacer, "Wayne's World"
Drivetrain: 100-hp inline-six with three-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Flame decal, licorice dispenser, "Bohemian Rhapsody" on continuous playback
Although this movie may not have driven thousands of people to track down a baby blue Mirth Mobile of their own, it did inspire a number of in-car, head-banging singalongs by fans of the film.
No. 5: 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, "Bullitt"
Drivetrain: 325-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 with four-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Fastback roof, higher engine note than the Charger
Never mind the continuity mishaps; just tell yourself there were a lot of green Volkswagen Beetles in San Francisco that day. The seven-minute chase scene between Frank Bullitt's Mustang GT 390 and a hit man's 1968 Dodge Charger is among the best of its kind. Voters gave Bullitt's car the edge because, in the end, you have to root for the good guy.
No. 4: 1964 Aston Martin DB5, "Goldfinger"
Drivetrain: 282-hp, 4.0-liter six-cylinder with four-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Bulletproof glass, machine guns, incessantly beeping radar screen
Save for the anemic BMW Z3 1.9 in "GoldenEye," Bond cars are top-notch — the list includes Aston Martins, Bentleys and Lotuses — but voters agreed the champ is the Aston Martin DB5 in "Goldfinger." Not only is it gorgeous, it outruns and out-gadgets all of its competitors. Plus it gets plenty of screen time with the best Bond, Sean Connery. Any dissenters, of course, are welcome to ride in the "power" passenger seat.
No. 3: 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
Drivetrain: 280-hp, 3.0-liter V-12 with four-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Cherry-red exterior, wire grille, Cameron-sized tonneau compartment
This movie is probably responsible for thousands of teens cutting class to joyride in their father's car. Of course, none hold a candle to Mr. Frye's convertible Ferrari. It won votes for all the obvious reasons: It's red, Italian and bloody fast. If our fathers owned something like this, we'd ditch Econ 101 in a heartbeat to take a spin — especially if Dad didn't lock the garage. (And yes, we know this was a kit car.)
No. 2: 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, "Smokey and the Bandit"
Drivetrain: 200-hp, 6.6-liter V-8 with three-speed automatic
Notable Features: T-top, CB radio, runaway bride in the passenger seat
The mission seemed simple enough: Get a truckload of bootleg beer from Texarkana, Texas, to Atlanta while Bo "Bandit" Darville runs interference in his Trans Am. The combination of the comical car chases and Burt Reynolds' mustache sold more than a few black and gold versions of Bandit's car.
No. 1: 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, "Back to the Future"
Drivetrain: 1.21-gigawatt nuclear/electric hybrid with five-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive
Notable Features: Gull-wing doors, 16-port twin exhaust boxes, flux capacitor
This was an overwhelming choice for voters, and why not? Doc Brown's smoke-spewing DeLorean achieves time travel at 88 mph thanks to a plutonium-powered nuclear reactor and onboard flux capacitor. By the end of the first movie, it runs solely on trash — and it can fly. That's still futuristic two decades after the movie debuted. Sure, the ignition seems to have some reliability issues, but this car easily won our hearts.
source : www.cars.com
Friday, July 27, 2007
Top 10 Most Memorable Movie Cars
Monday, July 23, 2007
‘57 Plymouth Waking from Time Capsule
A 1957 Plymouth Belvedere buried in a time capsule 50 years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is about to return to the land of the living.
On June 15,Tulsa's town leaders will unveil the Belvedere as a part of "Tulsarama!" The celebration marks Oklahoma's 100th anniversary of statehood. Chrysler officials will be on hand for the public reveal, which can be seen in a Webcast hosted at the official site for the time capsule car, http://www.buriedcar.com.
The Belvedere - hawked by Chrysler back then with the tagline, "the only car to break the time barrier" - comes out of its civic-induced coma with its Torsion-Aire front suspension, tail fins, and push-button Torqueflite automatic transmission intact. It had been buried in front of the county courthouse in Tulsa .
Styled by the Chrysler team that was led by Virgil Exner, the Belvedere and its close kin, the Plymouth Fury, were introduced at the height of the Fifties fin craze.
The Belvedere's condition will be an interesting point to collectors. It was originally Cosmolined like an old Army rifle, wrapped up in plastic and coffined in a concrete-and-steel box. The automotive morticians even thoughtfully included ten gallons of gasoline and five quarts of motor oil in appropriate containers in the car's trunk - just in case such commodities were no longer available in the then-distant future.
The Belvedere isn't the only Chrysler product to be placed more than six feet under by the otherwise peaceful citizens of Oklahoma. In 1997, they buried a Plymouth Prowler in the city's Centennial Park.
It's due to be unearthed in 2037.
www.thecarconnection.com
2008 Porsche 911 GT2 Preview
New sport model gets twin turbos, 530 bhp.
Porsche has unveiled yet another variant of the 911, and this time it's the GT2, a car that Porsche says is its fastest 911 ever.
Only available with rear-wheel drive and a manual six-speed gearbox, the 2+2 hits 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 204 mph. Fuel economy is 22.6 mpg in the Euro cycle.
The 3.6-liter engine is based on the six-cylinder boxer unit from the 911 Turbo, with twin turbochargers featuring variable turbine geometry. Peak power of 530 hp is achieved at 6500 rpm, with maximum torque of 501 lb-ft maintained consistently between 2200 and 4500 rpm. Power is up by 50 hp over the standard 911 Turbo, an increase brought about by fitting the turbos with a larger compressor wheel and a flow-optimized turbine housing, raising turbocharger pressure.
The German company is also boasting of the car's achievements in terms of emissions management. The GT2 is the first Porsche homologated for the road to feature a rear silencer and tailpipes made of titanium as standard equipment. This reduces weight by approximately 50 percent when compared to a standard stainless steel component.
The new 911 GT2 comes as standard with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), featuring brake discs made of a composite carbon fiber/ceramic compound.
The car will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and go on sale across Europe soon after. It goes on sale in the U.S. early in 2008 for a price of $191,700.
2008 Mercedes-Benz SL
Mercedes' luxury convertible returns for 2008 with the same lineup it offered in 2007: There's the 382-horsepower SL550, the 510-horse SL55 AMG, the V-12-powered 510-horsepower SL600 and the AMG-tuned V-12 SL65, with 604 horsepower.
As before, all SLs sport four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and Brake Assist, stability control, side airbags, a pop-up roll bar, and TeleAid emergency system. Also standard are the Keyless Go entry/starter system, a heated steering wheel, and corner-illuminating fog lamps.
For 2008, new 18-inch five-spoke wheels are added to the SL500 as standard equipment. Customers who order the Trim Package on the SL550 can also order premium Nappa leather. Run-flat tires may be ordered, too.
2008 Mercedes-Benz SL
Mercedes' luxury convertible returns for 2008 with the same lineup it offered in 2007: There's the 382-horsepower SL550, the 510-horse SL55 AMG, the V-12-powered 510-horsepower SL600 and the AMG-tuned V-12 SL65, with 604 horsepower.
As before, all SLs sport four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock and Brake Assist, stability control, side airbags, a pop-up roll bar, and TeleAid emergency system. Also standard are the Keyless Go entry/starter system, a heated steering wheel, and corner-illuminating fog lamps.
For 2008, new 18-inch five-spoke wheels are added to the SL500 as standard equipment. Customers who order the Trim Package on the SL550 can also order premium Nappa leather. Run-flat tires may be ordered, too.
