TQS StaffIt’s 2013, and we’re still driving cars powered by dead dinosaurs. They don’t fly…they don’t even hover for god’s sake! Occasionally our cars do talk to us, barking things like “do a U-turn in 30 yards” when we’re travelling at 88mph in the outside lane of the motorway (on the off-chance we might manage to travel through time), but overall, as a child of the 80s raised on a diet of dystopian thrillers and surreal sci-fi action, I have to say I’m pretty unimpressed with the so-called future we’ve arrived in.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to share my 4 favourite cars from the fictional future worlds of some of the coolest films ever made. The list is in chronological order (funnily enough, the order is the same whether it’s based on the years the films were made or the years they were set!)
Interceptor, Mad Max (1980) (above)
Released in 1979, Mad Max was meant to be set in the “not too distant future”; some of the series’ more dedicated fans seem to have deduced that the action actually took place in 1980. The V8 Interceptor ‘Pursuit Special’ (pictured above) was the vehicle of choice for the MFP – the law enforcement agency in the film. Mad Max was produced for a rumoured budget of just $650,000, and they kept things simple by making a few cosmetic modifications to a 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe. Unlike the film’s leading man Mel Gibson, the Interceptor still looks badass today.
Police Spinners, Blade Runner (2019)
Released in 1982 and depicting the Los Angeles of 2019, Blade Runner is, hands-down, the definitive dystopian sci-fi film for an entire generation. And no dystopian classic would be complete without some suitably awe-inspiring transport technology. The police spinners in the film have an unsettling air of familiarity thanks to the red and blue flashing lights we all recognise, but they also take-off vertically and emit menacing columns of steam for good measure. According to information given to journalists when the film was released, the spinners were powered by a combination of jet propulsion, anti-gravity tech and the trusty internal combustion engine. Hats off to concept artist Syd Mead (now 79) for imagining this iconic cop-car from an eerily familiar future
Johnny Cab, Total Recall (2084)
So, the remake of Total Recall released last year featured hover cars, but it didn’t feature Arnie, so I’m really not interested. Instead, I’m keeping the focus on the films I remember from my childhood, and that means that Johnny Cab from the original 1990 version of Total Recall has to get a mention. There’s nothing cool about the car itself or its daft robot driver, but that just makes it more enjoyable when Arnie takes control and starts pulling some power slides, before abandoning Johnny, hitting him with a killer one-liner and then dodging the car before it powers into a wall and explodes.
Flying Taxi, The Fifth Element (circa 2250)
Released in 1997, The Fifth Element is memorable for so many reasons, and the cars are definitely one of them. The airborne chase scene towards the beginning of the film, where Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) pilots his taxi through the chaotic skies of 23rd-century New York, pursued by heavily-armed, McDonald’s-fuelled cops, is just a great action sequence. If I could own any of the cars in this list, this is the one I’d choose. If it came with Milla Jovovich in the back, that would be a definite bonus!
This is a guest post by Andy at Contracthireacar.com – the business car leasing specialists. Andy hopes to own a DeLorean one day
