If life is, in fact, a highway, presuming that I wanna ride it all night long, then if you are going my way I would certainly wanna drive it all night long. This is indisputable fact. Now, when you add ‘Popular Culture’ into the mix, the theory first proposed by the poet and philosopher Tom Cochrane still holds true but you then need to come on and jump in my car, on account of it being too far to walk on your ow-own.
Cruising the Pop Culture Highway you will find it to be a veritable Wacky Race of vehicles big and small, those both hotted-up and busted-up. Today we’re taking a look back in the rearview mirror at The Top 10 Hottest ‘Cars’ in Pop Culture History all in honour of the new Need For Speed film starring your m8, Aaron Paul.
THE BATMOBILE
The return of the Tumbler in The Dark Knight Rises, and its affiliated modes of transport (the Batpod/Batcycle), did little to overshadow the original and the best; It’s all in the name, really. It’s Batman’s automobile. Done. Next!
THE DELOREAN
The DeLorean DMC-12, though very limited in its release, holds a very special place in the pop-culture-blocked arteries of our hearts. How else would those two kooky adventurers, who for some inexplicable reason are best friends (?), have gone Back and Forth to the Future? How indeed. Why, without their trusty DeLorean (the plutonium via ‘Libyan terrorists’, the subsequent 1.21 gigawatts of power and the Doc patented “flux capacitor”) Biff would never have tasted the moist fist of manurrrrr-flavoured retribution.
R.I.P DeLorean but Honourable Mention to modified Hoverlocomotive.
RYAN GOSLINGMOBILE
Sure, a real human being was driving the thing (a real hero, even), but the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu from the movie ‘Drive’ has provided one of the most iconic car-related moments in pop culture. Despite the fact that Gosling does Drive a few cars in the movie, all of which are super coo’, the Chevrolet Malibu is his day-to-day car, it’s him in car form. Although stunt drivers are credited, Gosling himself did a number of the stunts and during the making of the film Gosling took apart and re-built the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu used. It’s the car that Ryan Gosling’s love built.
Pls see Visual Summary Of Drive (SPOILER ALERT)
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
When you’re talking suped-up, it doesn’t come much more suped than the car so nice they named it twice: pretty Chitty Bang Bang. This movie car is so great that any who became stuck in its gravitational pull are driven to song and suddenly capable of flight. So much so that the benevolent batshit rulers of The Sovereign Nation of Vulgaria are willing to send in one of the most scarring movie characters for small children and adults alike: the Child Catcher.
Fuck everything about this:
Everything about this = ideal:
“THE KRYSTAL SHIP”
This particular trusty 1986 Fleetwood Bounder Recreational Vehicle was one of the main accomplices in a spree of breaking bad, and has subsequently seen it all. It was very nearly the final resting place of our favourite drug chef protagonists and, on reflection, a bit of an enabler.
Cheeky:
Krysal Ship, we hardly knew ye.
THE PUSSY WAGON
The ‘Pussy Wagon’, the bright yellow Chevrolet Silverado SS seen in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 that is Buck’s pride and joy is a hell of a wagon. It represents every scrub who thinks that owning a pickup with “Pussy Wagon” written on the back is a sound decision and then it is taken by The Bride as the transport along her bloody path to Bill. Circle of Life. The truck, now owned by Quentin Tarantino (of course it does) was provided to Bad Girl Ga-ga and Honey Beé for use in the Telephone video. Pop Culture²
ECTO-1
Once you call the people you’re gonna call, Howaretheygonnagettoyou? ECTO-1!
The 1959 Cadillac professional that had previously employed in an ambulance/hearse capacity, found by Dr. Ray Stantz is what keeps us safe at night. It was also an end loader meaning it had plenty of room for Proton Packs, Ecto Goggles’, P.K.E. Meters, Traps and a bunch of other scientific equipment that you just wouldn’t understand.
MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
Books about science and a magic school bus turned into an entertaining children’s program? Somebody buy whoever made that decision a beer. And then shrink them down to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids size so they can enjoy even more refreshing beer. An anthropomorphic Type A school bus which takes the future Planeteers on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar system, clouds, the past, and the human body? Ms. Frizzle sure did know how to trip.
PRISCILLA
Priscilla Queen of the Desert: an Australian cinema classic, beloved by all and rewatched annually by anyone with a television. This really is one of those cases where (sorry, not sorry) the bus is a character in the film; not unlike the city of Dublin in James Joyce‘s Dubliners. Bow down, bitches, you’re in the presence of royalty:
The actual Queen of The Desert.
Favoloso! You get yours, Guy Pearce:
BLUTH COMPANY STAIR CAR
Such a long and proud history:
Watch out for hop-ons.
BRUM, The Real Little Car With Attitude
This:
Sneaky lil’ Brum:
SHELBY FORD MUSTANG
And now, your new favourite car in pop culture, the Shelby Ford Mustang from the new Need for Speed Action/Heist Thriller situation. Most people will have played a version or two of Need for Speed, whether you were fulfilling your needs (for speeds) or occasionally just driving around like a law abiding citizen because you didn’t have your license yet and it’s the closest you can get to behind the wheel (#postsecret), and no doubt you had some favourite cars. For the film they’ve tricked out some, already hella impressive, American Muscles:
And the results be faaaaaaaancy:
Honourable Mentions go to WARTHOG from Halo, THE BLUESMOBILE from The Blues Brothers, FIREFLY, BUMBLEBEE, The Wiggles’ BIG RED CAR, The MYSTERY MACHINE, JURASSIC PARK Tour Vehicle, THE MIRTH MOBILE from Wayne’s World, TRON Light Cycle and The Simpsons’ bust up old pink Sedan.
Thanks to the brand new NEED FOR SPEED movie we are doing a giveaway of 10 passes to see the film and 10 prize packs full of needing speed related merch. To win just answer below, in 25 words or less, ‘what’s your favourite car from pop culture is and why’. Most creative answers win.
