Home Entertainment Cars From ‘The Fast and The Furious’ Regular Drivers Can Actually Own
Entertainment

Cars From ‘The Fast and The Furious’ Regular Drivers Can Actually Own

Cameron Eittreim November 2, 2023

In the summer of 2001, a high-octane action film hit theaters and changed the landscape of Hollywood cinema forever. “The Fast and the Furious,” directed by Rob Cohen, wasn’t just about thrilling car races and daring heists. It was a cultural phenomenon that introduced audiences to the roar of engines and the speed of the streets. At the heart of this adrenaline-fueled saga were not just its charismatic characters but also the charismatic vehicles they drove. The cars that were in the movie were modified to each of the owner’s tastes.

So we embarked on a nostalgic journey back to where it all began. These weren’t just ordinary cars. They were emblematic symbols of the underground racing culture, showcasing an array of makes and models. Even though some of these are common cars with the right modifications, they are completely different. Join us as we rev our engines and dive into the world of these great common cars that set the streets on fire and made cinematic history in “The Fast and the Furious.”

Photo Credit: Mecum

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

A car that was featured very briefly in the original movie, the 1970 Chevelle SS in the movie was smoked out with a slick primer paint job. Although the original film focused mainly on imports, it was the Chevelle SS that caught the attention of moviegoers. Driven by the main character Dominic Toretto, this was an in-between car with big power under the hood. Obviously, it wasn’t a bone stock restoration, this car was a street rod. The Chevelle SS was a rough-and-tumble hot rod even when it was brand-new, so it fit in the movie perfectly (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Mecum

The cars that made the movie iconic were the Toyota Supra and the Mitsubishi Eclipse. But the Chevelle SS still had an important part. Car culture in general was cultivated around muscle cars like the Chevelle. You can’t get a full view of the car scene without vehicles like this. The muscle car era is responsible for birthing amazing movie franchises like ‘The Fast and The Furious.’ There have been plenty of car movies that featured the Chevelle SS and with good reason as it’s an iconic part of car culture.

Photo Credit: Jay Leno’s Garage

1970 Dodge Charger R/T

Toretto’s Dodge Charger R/T was something special. When fans first saw the car in the garage scene of the original movie, they knew the car had a special meaning for Dom because of his father. The Charger R/T was Dodge’s attempt to gain a following in the muscle car world, and it worked. The Charger became one of the most well-known muscle cars of all time, but it was also quite common. There were millions of these cars sold during its production run, although prices have skyrocketed tremendously today (via Hemmings).

Photo Credit: Jay Leno’s Garage

The Dodge Charger R/T wasn’t the most important part of the film franchise or even the original movie, but it told a story about the lead character. With the performance to match its stellar reputation, the Charger R/T was one of the most iconic muscle cars on the road. And for a long period of time, it was also one of the most common muscle cars drivers could get. The modern Charger doesn’t even hold a candle to the car from this generation.

Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes

1993 Honda Civic Coupe

The first 1993 Civic Coupe that fans saw in the original ‘Fast and The Furious’ movie also appeared briefly. Like most of the street racing-oriented vehicles in the movie, the Civic had its own reputation as a street racing car. The Civic of the 1990s became a cultural phenomenon in the street racing scene because it was easy to modify and had a rev-happy engine. The 1993 model featured in the movie had all the earmarks of an early 2000s street racer including the vinyls that were up the sides of the car (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Honda Forum

There were more than a few Civics featured in the movie, but this was the most prominent. This generation was the one that introduced drivers to the upgradability of the model and how fun it was to drive. Very few generations of a car have left the type of impact that the Civic did. It was an integral part of ‘The Fast and The Furious’ franchise. The Civic with its rev-happy engine and affordable design completely changed the way that we looked at compact cars.

Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes

1993 Freightliner FLA 86 64 T

One of the most awe-inspiring scenes in the original ‘Fast and The Furious’ movie was the highway robbery scene at the beginning. Three black Civics with neon green lighting pulled off the heist. The FLA 84 64 T was the last of the cab-over semi-trucks the company produced. If you’ve ever wondered where big rigs like this one went, they were phased out due to safety issues. Freightliner has always been one of the most well-known names in the semi-truck business and these cab designs were iconic (via Fan Dom).

Photo Credit: Big Macks Trucks

Few trucks have been as iconic in the world as the Freightliner cab-over trucks. Although safety issues prevented the design from staying on the market, you’ll still see these from time to time. ‘The Fast and The Furious’ franchise has showcased some of the most iconic cars on the road and some of the most common. The movie had a unique storyline that was about more than just street racing and this truck added that element to the movie.

Photo Credit: Fandom

1992 Honda Civic Hatchback

With a street racing movie like this, it wasn’t surprising to see a lot of Civics. After all, the Civic was the car of choice for the tuner community for most of the 1990s and 2000s. The simple design and cheap parts made for a surprisingly fun-to-drive compact. While you might not equate early Civic models with performance, when they had the right upgrades they were quite agile. The fifth-generation Honda Civic was among one of the most notable models produced (via FF Fandom).

Photo Credit: Fandom

The Civic in question has a Root Beer brown paint job and early-model BBS wheels. The body kits weren’t too crazy so you’d almost think this car was a sleeper. Under the hood was the bulletproof four-cylinder engine equipped with plenty of NOS and a turbocharger. Few things are more fun than flying down the road in one of these cars with all of the modifications attached to them. With plenty of upgrades and options available for this car, there’s no reason why you can’t drive one.

Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes

1993 Honda Civic EJ1

The 1993 EJ1 Civic was shown in the movie as part of the trio used for the opening highway robbery. These Civics were understated with a flat black paint job and a huge wing spoiler. The understated design was ominous and gave the cars a serious look. A lot of what you see on these Civics was standard fare for street racing culture at the time. The unique look of the cars was only encompassed by the serious performance that resonated from under the hood. You wouldn’t consider the Civic for a serious performance powerhouse but this one was (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes

The Civic evolved a lot over the 1990s but these early models were quite handsome. With the right modification, the Civic EJ1 is a street rocket that handles business. The great thing about ‘The Fast and The Furious’ was its diverse selection of cars featured in the film. Although many of these cars were quite common, they still had great modifications to them. The Civics featured in the original ‘Fast and The Furious’ were the best that the model had to offer.

Photo Credit: Fandom

1993 Mazda RX-7

The signature red RX-7 is the first car that we see driven by Dominic Toretto in the film. The car has the look and feel of a true street racing legend. It was built on the already beautiful styling of the RX-7. The car was designed by Veilside, a company that specializes in custom tuner cars. The most striking thing about this RX-7 was the paint job. The RX-7 has one of the most famous engines in the world, a power plant renowned for reliability and performance. Veilside is a company synonymous with performance (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Fandom

The car played a major role in the film and ended up becoming quite iconic. This generation of the RX-7 was discontinued in 1997 but remained a popular piece of automotive culture. With the right modifications, the RX-7 is one of the fastest cars on the road. It rivals the best from Mitsubishi and Toyota, and even the prized Supra Turbo has a tough time going against it. There are special edition RX-7 models around the world but this one stood out the most.

Photo Credit: Universal

1994 Toyota Supra MK IV

It could be said that the Toyota Supra is the car that made this movie franchise famous. It was the car designed by Dom and Brian because Brian owed him a car from wrecking Dom’s. Everything about the car was unique and iconic for this movie. The Supra Turbo had the best performance of any Japanese sports car from the era. Although there was a lot of competition on the market, it was the Supra that reigned supreme. The beautiful design of the car was ahead of its time, with sculpted corners that were aerodynamic (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Edmunds

The Supra was already a popular tuner car. But after the movie, it exploded in value. The Supra came in standard form and it also came with a turbocharged engine, both of which were highly valuable. Everything about the car was a modern feeling and even today it’s a blast to drive. The movie just wouldn’t feel the same without this beautiful orange example of a sports car. The Supra changed the game for turbo-powered sports cars and it put Toyota on the performance map.

Photo Credit: Edmunds

1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse

This Mitsubishi Eclipse was driven by Brian in the first movie. The second-generation Eclipse was definitely one of the most beautiful cars of the 1990s. What we had right here was the pinnacle of Mitsubishi design and it was only taken further with upgrades. The green paint job and the blue vinyl up the side of the car were an amazing touch, but the performance also hit on all levels. Few cars in history have been as replicated as this Eclipse right here (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Universal

Paul Walker’s Brian had to learn the hard way about street racing and he ultimately lost his Eclipse in a fire. However, the car still exists in real life and it’s not uncommon to see clones of it for sale. There was just something about this Eclipse in particular that resonated with drivers. The iconic styling and the fast performance of the car in general made it a winner. The Eclipse came from one of the best automotive partnerships in history in the form of Diamond Star Motors. These cars were affordable and extremely fun to drive.

Photo Credit: Fandom

1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R R33

Another iconic part of the movie was the Skyline GT-R R33 driven by a member of Dom’s crew. The GT-R was one of the most recognizable Nissans in the world with performance to match. When you think of tuner cars, this is the one that comes to mind. The performance that came from the GT-R R33 was amazing from the factory. It coupled major performance with a beautiful design and the car won a lot of races around the world. Most notable about this car was the intense yellow paint job, which wasn’t average (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Fandom

You’ll very seldom see this car in the original movie, but the few scenes it was featured in were important. In real life one of these cars will set you back a pretty penny, so you don’t see it very often. This was truly a piece of innovative design and it had everything that a true-performance driver wanted in a car. The Skyline GT-R R33 is a car that you don’t see very often, but it was very instrumental in the automotive world and the movie.

Photo Credit: Mecum

1995 Volkswagen Jetta

The Jetta had the saddest part in the film. It had a lot of upgrades in the film and it was even purchased by actor Frankie Muniz. The car had a unique paint job and body kit that you generally didn’t see on a Jetta at the time. This generation of the Jetta is beloved by enthusiasts because of its great performance. The handsome exterior of this car also gives off major Audi vibes from the factory (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Mecum

The Jetta was an integral part of the movie. It’s always been a competitor to the Civic and Corolla, albeit on a higher level. Of all the common cars in the movie that were worth noting, this one was probably the most unique. Of all the ordinary cars that were featured in the movie, this one was one of the most unique. You’ll seldom see a souped of Jetta from this generation, so it was a real treat.

Photo Credit: IMDB

1997 Nissan 240SX

Letty Ortiz is one of the central characters in the ‘Fast and the Furious’ franchise. In the original film, she played an even larger role and her car was quite important. While it wasn’t a Skyline, it was a 240SX, which was one of the purest sports cars ever built. The 240SX was one of the most popular sports cars that Nissan sold in the 1990s, and it was downright beautiful. The smooth sculpted styling of the coupe was far ahead of its time, and the car that was featured in the movie had a beautiful cherry red paint job to match (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: IMDB

The 240SX was only featured in a few scenes of the movie, but it was enough that people remember it. There was something about its dark purple paint job with the gold vinyl that made it look amazing. Nissan did a wonderful design with the 240SX. It’s not only timeless but it still looks great today. There weren’t a lot of forward-thinking cars in the early ’90s but the 240SX was one of them. The 240SX is by far one of the most beautiful sports cars ever built ,even though it wasn’t the most common one.

Photo Credit: Motor Authority

1999 Nissan Maxima (A32)

The 1999 Maxima was one of the oddest cars featured in the original film. Driven by the character Vince, this blue beauty was quite unique, to say the least, and left the most interesting impression. First, the beautiful blue paint job wasn’t factory and was unique to this car. Second, back then, body kits weren’t common for a passenger car like the Maxima. But under the hood the Maxima was even more special, boasting some serious performance numbers that were true on the screen and in real life (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Motor Authority

The A32 was one of the most popular variations of the storied Maxima line. The underpinnings of the car were some of the best that Nissan used and offered superior technology and performance. Vince wasn’t a huge character in the ‘Fast and The Furious’ universe, but he had a prominent role in the first movie. The Maxima was definitely a memorable car, albeit quite a common one at that. You can find these Maxima models just about anywhere, and with the right modifications, you can have your own version of this movie car.

Photo Credit: RM Sotherby

Acura Integra

Rapper Ja Rule had a minor role in the opening scene of the original ‘Fast and the Furious’ movie. His car of choice was an Acura Integra, and this one was decked out with vinyl and a two-tone paint job. The MOMO wheels were a major touch on the car that helped to differentiate it from the pack. The look and feel of the car were straight in line with other street racing magazines at the time. The Integra was one of the best-selling cars of all time and with good reason. It was extremely fun to drive (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: RM Sotherby

The Integra featured in the movie was in line with the rest of car culture at the time. Tuners were experiencing different cars from the era and the Integra and Civic were two of the most popular. Who could argue with the bulletproof reliability and the rev-happy engine? This car was truly the total package and the one featured in the movie was quite unique, to say the least. The Integra was not built to become a cultural phenomenon, but that’s what it did.

Photo Credit: Mecum

Chevrolet Caprice

As was the case with most action movies from the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Caprice was featured prominently as a police pursuit car. The Caprice was available with a Corvette engine under the hood. The amount of horsepower was almost endless offering a stellar amount of performance. The platform was one of the most iconic in GM history. The car had quite a major part in ‘The Fast and the Furious’ movie, especially in chase scenes when the police were after Dom (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Mecum

The Caprice is one of the most common V8-powered sedans that you can get your hands on, although their price is going up today. The car was a stellar choice for most of the decade although GM discontinued production. GM reintroduced the Caprice a decade later but it was this final generation of the car that made a real dent in the segment. The Caprice had a real surprise under the hood, and that’s why these cars are so popular now. There are a few sedans from this era that can hang with the Caprice in pure power.

Photo Credit: IMDB

Ferrari F355 Spider

Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in the movie was the one where Brian and Dom race a Ferrari with their newly-built Supra. Obviously, in real life, the Supra Turbo is a match for the Ferrari F355, so the race was actually realistic. Both cars took off at a rapid pace and the Supra more than held its own against the snobby Ferrari driver. The F355 itself is a special car and was one of the most popular models during the 1990s. The movie introduced the world to a lot of unique cars and the Ferrari F355 was the icing on the cake (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: IMDB

The design of the Ferrari F355 was ahead of its time with modern styling. The one that was featured in the movie had a slick black paint job, but other colors of the car were amazing as well. There’s no doubt that Ferrari has built some of the most memorable cars on the road. The F355 is no exception with its beautiful paint job and luxurious interior. Ferraris from the nineties were some of the most popular models ever built. This car had its run during a period of time when automotive technology was rapidly changing.

Photo Credit: IMDB

Ford F150 Lightning

At the start of the movie, Brian O’Connor is seen working at an auto parts store. He delivers parts to Dominic Toretto’s shop. The F-150 Lightning he drove to do so was one of the most fun-to-drive trucks ever built. It was all performance built into a modern package and was one of the first muscle trucks. Long before the Ford Raptor was a hit, the Lightning was the muscle truck that everyone wanted to own. With the beautiful styling and the supercharged engine, this truck packed a serious punch (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: IMDB

Where other performance trucks failed to gain traction, the F-150 Lightning was at the top of its class. The movie definitely went the extra mile thanks to featuring this truck in it. If you wanted to be a parts delivery driver this would be the truck that you’d want to own. And the F-150 Lightning was no slouch on the track either. This truck can hold its own with just about every ride featured in the movie. The Lightning was the truck that introduced the world to true performance in a pickup.

Photo Credit: GT

Honda S2000

Johnny Tran was one of the most important characters in the original movie. He left a trail of destruction and went up against Dominic Toretto, and he also drove a pretty unique ride. The S2000 was a rare sports car that was released by Honda in the early 2000s and had a reasonable reception. But the car never sold very well and you’ll seldom see one on the road. In fact, this was a pure enthusiast’s car in almost every sense of the word. The one that Tran drove had a slick black paint job coupled with attractive rims and a lot of vinyl on the sides of the car as well (via Fandom).

Photo Credit: Edmunds

The S2000 is a car that just about anyone can get their hands on, although it will set you back a pretty penny. This isn’t a cheap car by any sense of the word, but it is a blast to drive. With the stellar Vtech engine under the hood, the S2000 does a great job of handling business on the track and on the road. The S2000 made another appearance in future ‘Fast and The Furious’ movies with a different color and design. Tran lived on in infamy. His S2000 was ultimately destroyed in the movie when he lost the race and ran out of town. In real life, the S2000 is a fun ride with a unique design.

Advertisement
Please wait 5 sec.