Life isn’t a movie, but that doesn’t mean it can’t feel like one. There are a few real-world vehicles that I can’t help but relate to a piece of cinema I’ve seen in the past, and whenever I see one on the road, I get drawn back to my favorite scenes of that movie. Sometimes it’s something as legendary as a Gran Torino, but let’s be honest––a Gran Torino isn’t in everyone’s budget, and you won’t find one on every block. The beauty of online car sales is that you don’t need to stress finding your dream vehicle at a local dealership; you can find it online instead.
Today, I want to talk about movies, or more specifically, some of the most notable vehicles in some of my favorite pieces of cinema. From action-packed adventures to comedies, some cars certainly stand out. A vehicle in a film isn’t always a crucial part of the plot because if a character needs to get somewhere, they’ll take their car––nothing surprising there. But other times, the vehicles you see on the big screen can be supremely influential and play a pivotal role in the film’s plot, making you dream about sitting inside them. Let’s start talking about a few of my favorite cars I’ve seen on the big screen.
#1 – Chevy Camaro (Transformers)
Transformers are cool––like, really cool. What’s cooler? Yellow cars––at least in my opinion. Combine the two, and you’ve got our dear friend, Bumblebee. As one of the most beloved Transformers in existence, Bumblebee has received a lot of screentime, even getting the standalone film Bumblebee, which launched in 2018 and is set to be followed by a sequel in 2023. Bumblebee has taken on many forms over the years, notably its big-screen appearance as a Chevy Camaro. Nowadays, Bumblebee takes on the look of a modern Chevy Camaro SS, but its original incarnation on the silver screen was a 1977 Camaro. Muscle cars in the 1970s were a different beast––and to this day, a 1970s Camaro can be a dream car for many people.
The Bumblebee that I came to know and love was the Camaro SS shown in the 2011 film Transformers: Dark of the Moon. A bit of personal experience here––my mother owned a Camaro SS with the same yellow paint job and a black stripe down the middle, albeit a 2012 model, and I had the pleasure of driving it around one beautiful Summer day. There was a certain feeling of “cool” that driving a Bumblebee-colored Camaro SS with its beastly V8 engine down the road gave, and a compliment or two in a parking lot wasn’t unexpected. Even if Bumblebee hadn’t brought the modern-day Camaro SS into superstardom, I would still obsess over its legendary design and stellar performance––and I simply can’t say no to a yellow paint job.
The Camaro SS is a worthwhile investment even when not painted like Bumblebee. While it isn’t the most cost-effective pre-owned vehicle, the Camaro SS undoubtedly remains a powerful car. Since the release of the modern Camaro, it has utilized a 6.2L V8 engine, with the first iteration producing 426 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. More recent examples, such as the 2022 Camaro SS, have a whopping 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque. Of course, you could always shop for a classic 1977 Camaro for that original Bumblebee look.
#2 – Toyota Supra (Fast & Furious)
Many of us have seen The Fast and the Furious and fondly remember the classic Toyota Supra driven by the late and great Paul Walker. The model Paul Walker’s character operates in the first film is none other than a 1994 Toyota Supra Mk IV. However, later movies in the franchise also showed the 1993 Supra Turbo Mk IV, the 1999 Toyota Supra Mk IV JDM, and the 1995 Toyota Supra Mk IV. As many know, the Supra was discontinued in 2002. Years later, the model got a second chance with the release of the 2020 GR Supra.
When shopping for a used Supra of your own, you can find yourself a JDM classic or a super modern sports car. Today, it’ll be a fair bit more costly and potentially harder to land yourself a Supra Mk IV from the 1990s, but it is still possible, especially if you shop online. The scarcity is in no small part due to the legendary status it was given by the world-renowned Fast & Furious films. The Supra models from the 1990s became even more popular after Paul Walker’s death in a car crash in 2013. The Supra is a stylish vehicle with a sleek design that screams both luxury and performance––it’s a sight to behold, no matter what generation we’re discussing.
The 1994 Supra Turbo outputs 320 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque thanks to a turbocharged 3.0L I-6 engine. Non-turbo versions of the 1994 Supra have 220 hp and 210 lb-ft of torque. In their search for used vehicles, drivers are more likely to come across a GR Supra model from 2020 or later. Keeping up with their DNA, the newer Supra models perform admirably. The 2022 GR Supra utilizes one of two powertrains: a turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine or a turbocharged 3.0L I-6 engine. Opting for the more powerful of the two gives the car 382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque, while the smaller engine provides a still respectable 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
#3 – Toyota Prius (The Other Guys)
I feel like mentioning this one because I find it rather hysterical. In Will Ferrell and Mark Whalberg’s buddy-cop comedy The Other Guys, Will Ferrell’s character is a polite and seemingly mundane office worker. When paired with Mark Whalberg’s character––the type of guy who craves the kind of action you’d see on television––you begin to see the comedy here. A large part of this comedy is that most of their police escapades are done in Will Ferrell’s vehicle: a red Toyota Prius.
In itself, the Prius isn’t a “funny” vehicle because jokes about hybrid cars are fading out of existence. But somehow, the red Toyota Prius is something you expect the character to drive and is made more hysterical by the revelation that Will Ferrell’s character is anything but mundane. An ongoing joke in the film is the six-CD changer inside the Prius––Will Ferrell’s character keeps Little River Band albums in each slot, which is only revealed after Mark Whalberg throws one of the CDs out of the window.
The Toyota Prius doesn’t need much introduction, and in the pre-owned market, there are plenty of models for drivers to choose from. The Prius from The Other Guys plays a massive role in the film as it’s the butt-end of many jokes––but there’s no denying the Prius is one of the best vehicles to purchase if you want to save money by using less fuel. The Prius is cost-effective, stylish, and roomy, which means that it is a great option for drivers looking at new or pre-owned automobiles. The Prius was the first hybrid to go mainstream, and that’s likely why it earned such a reputation. In the present day, there is no shortage of hybrids and EVs available, but why not go with the tried and true?
