What Is the Fastest Car in the World? (Hint: There’s a Fast and Furious Connection)
There may be some dispute about which production car is the fastest car in the world. SSC North America claims the SSC Tuatara holds the fastest time, and other lists exist out there with other supercars mentioned as the quickest. But these cars haven’t been officially verified, despite being certainly qualified for the ultimate speed race.
In fact, there’s only one car with a verified time and speed that can make the claim. And this particular sports car happens to have a connection to the Fast and Furious franchise. It makes sense that movies centered around fast cars and racing feature the real-life speed record holder. So, which car takes the cake, and what is its tie to the blockbuster movies?
The ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise is all about fast cars in the world
Unless you’ve been living off-grid, you are probably familiar with the Fast and Furious movie franchise. It weaves character stories about love, loyalty, and family, but mostly, these movies are about fast cars. Some of the most iconic rides make their appearances on the big screen.
MotorTrend and CBR both share lists that capture a few of the audience favorites, including Tej’s Ferrari 458, Letty’s 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe, and Brian’s McLaren MP4-12C Spider in Furious 7. And don’t forget about Dom’s 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon from F9 or Lucas Black’s 1967 Ford Mustang featured in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
‘Fast and Furious’ cars with the highest mph
The movie franchise isn’t just known for big-name stars and pretty cars. These cars are some of the fastest cars in the world, demonstrating their prowess on screen. CBR mentioned a few of the fastest, including the Pagani Zonda F featured in Fast & Furious 6, capable of 214 mph. Magdalene Shaw’s 2018 Noble M600 is a beast, clocking 215 mph. Deckard’s 2012 Lamborghini Aventador deserves a speed head nod, with its 217 mph capability.
But the fastest in the franchise might just be Tej and Roman’s 2010 Koenigsegg CCXRs from Fast Five, capable of hitting 249 mph, and Roman’s 2011 Bugatti Veyron from Furious 7 with its 253 mph record.
Paul Walker’s car in each Fast and Furious film
Part of what makes the Fast and Furious franchise so endearing to fans is the presence of Paul Walker. The actor famously portrayed Brian O’Conner throughout the first several films, before his unfortunate real-life car accident that took his life. He may no longer have a stage presence in current films, but his past performances and incredible cars still rank among fans as favorites.
Car Throttle compiled some of Paul Walker’s super-fast cars from the movie franchise. The very first car audiences saw Brian drive was the 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2G GS. Other models Brian films from behind the wheel include the 1999 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning, a 1995 Toyota Supra Mark IV, the 1991 Dodge Stealth, and the 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R. You’ll catch him driving a 2002 GT-T, a 1969 Chevy Camaro, and the 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, too.
Some of the other Paul Walker sweet rides throughout the Fast and Furious franchise include the 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX STi GH, the 1971 Nissan Skyline GT-R “Hakosuka,” the 2001 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2, and the 2011 Dodge Charger PPV. The list also showcases a few 2010 Dodge Charger SRT8s “Vault Cars,” a 2011 Nissan GT-R R35, a 2010 BMW E60 M5, and even the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country minivan (when Brian is living the family life.) Fans also appreciate the 1974 Ford Escort RS 2000 Mark 1, the 2010 Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and the 2012 Nissan GT-R R35 Bensopra.
Some of Brian’s sweetest rides, though, come with inherent speed and stylish curves. The 2012 Subaru Impreza WRX STi GH certainly makes up for the minivan moment. The 2013 McLaren MP4-12C Spider and the 2012 Nissan GT-R R35 earn serious fan brownie points, too. But many consider the 1998 Toyota Supra Turbo one of the most iconic Brian O’Conner cars of all. NME reported this car sold for $550,000 recently.
But what’s the connection between the Fast and Furious and the car that also happens to be the fastest car in the world?
The Nissan Skyline: ‘Fast and Furious’ made this tuner popular
Happy Birthday to Paul Walker, he would’ve turned 47 years old today.
Many around the world still miss the legendary actor and honor his memory after he passed away from a car accident in 2013. RIP
pic.twitter.com/3a1YQFSZxA
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) September 12, 2020
The Nissan Skyline GT-R may have become familiar because of its Fast and Furious appearances with Paul Walker, but this car is a serious speed and performance contender in real life. Nissan shares some of the Skyline GT-R’s history, dating back to its nameplate introduction in 1971. One of the Hakosuka Skyline GTRs sold in 2017 for a whopping $126,000, to give you a broad idea of just how pricey they can be. Finding a model in good condition will set you back more than $150,000 in today’s market.
You might have a tall order trying to find one for sale like the cars in the movies. The Nissan Skyline GT-R never sold here in the states due to U.S. safety and emissions requirements. But you could buy a Nissan GT-R, without the ‘Skyline,’ if you didn’t mind giving up the fast car performance. If you wanted to drive the same variation Brian O’Connor drove, you’d likely have to import one from overseas and make modifications to make your car legal. Federal law won’t allow you to import until the vehicle reaches 25 years of age, says Hagerty, in an updated statement, where sources also share a recent R34 Skyline GT-R sale that ran up to $320,187.
The Paul Walker Nissan Skyline is iconic
The Nissan Skyline GT-R is one of Paul Walker’s most iconic rides across the Fast and Furious franchise. According to Fandom, in 2 Fast 2 Furious Brian purchases a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 and gives it a fresh paint job. This is his chosen ride in a street race where he faces Suki, Slap Jack, and Orange Julius. As Insider mentions, it’s also the same car Brian drives in a legendary bridge jump. The movie cars were all R34s, with RB26DETT 2.6-liter engines rated at 280 hp.
There was also the 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 featured in Fast & Furious. Fandom may help jog your memory pointing to when Brian uses the FBI database to scope out a blue and pearl white version of this car. It’s this Skyline Brian drives in the race against Dominic Toretto to earn respect from Arturo Braga. The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34s onset used 1998 to 2001 Skyline GT-T frames. These few modifications made for incredible burnout sequences.
Cheap fast cars in the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise
There are some pretty pricey fast cars in the various Fast and Furious movies. But not all of them are high dollar, like the Lamborghini or Bugatti models. There are quite a few on-screen rides you could probably afford to buy yourself, including the various Honda Civics in the first installment of the franchise. Back in 1992, buying a Honda Civic hatchback would cost around $14,000. You could buy one of those today for likely half that price.
Two films featured the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (EVO), a car you could buy new for about $16,000. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift chapter of the franchise showcases the green minivan that mashed up a Volkswagen Touran body with a Golf chassis is an actual vehicle in Europe with an online price tag of about $6,000. Costing a little more but still affordable, the 1987 Buick Grand National that Dom drives in the Dominican Republic is said to cost roughly $30,000. And the 1999 Nissan Maxima Vince and Dom drive would have only set you back about $21,500 in 1999.
As infamous as the Nissan Skyline GT-R is or as iconic as those highway robbery Honda Civics were, they’re nowhere near the fastest car in the world.
Dodge Charger: ‘Fast and Furious’ put Vin Diesel behind the wheel of this beastly muscle car
Paul Walker is still highly revered and continues to technically live on within the franchise storylines. But it’s Vin Diesel who continues to carry the Fast and Furious torch as the lead character and protagonist. Part and parcel with his role as Dominic Toretto is the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. Producers put Diesel behind the wheel of this monster muscle legend, and it now is often associated with him and this movie role. Fandom lays out the timeline of events, highlighting the various appearances this beefy muscle car makes throughout the movie franchise.
In The Fast and the Furious, the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T spends much of its time parked in the Toretto garage. Dom is afraid to drive it since his father’s track death. The car shows up again in Fast & Furious, where Letty Ortiz, Dom’s leading lady, attempts to rebuild the formerly wrecked Charger. In Fast Five, Brian wrecks the Charger again, but not enough that Dom can’t commandeer the muscle car and drive it off to Rio de Janeiro. The infamous Dodge Charger shows up again in Fast & Furious 6, where Dom’s nephew plays with a scale model of the exact car Dom drove in the first movie franchise installment. Insider reports that Fast 9 fans will get their Dodge Charger fix. A custom mid-engine version was built just for the role, costing more than $1 million.
The ‘Fast and Furious’ Mustang Fastback was tuned for speed
The Fast and Furious movies weave other muscle cars into the various character stories of the franchise, including the Mustang Fastback. You might remember in Fast & Furious 6, Tej Parker’s 1969 Ford Mustang becomes part of an iconic chase scene with a tank, according to Fandom.
It’s the Fast and Furious chapter in Tokyo that changes the game for the Mustang Fastback. The 1967 models used in the movie were actually built using 1968 Ford Mustangs. And the car had a Nissan Skyline GT-R engine installed, taking nearly two months to complete. There was also a 430-inch Windsor motor with a nine-inch rear end.
But nothing compares to the fastest sports car
As fast as these modified Ford Mustangs were, or the Nissan Skyline GT-R, for that matter, nothing measures up to the fastest production sports car in the world. The fastest car in the world is the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, with Guinness World Record adherence recorded speed of 431.072 km/h or roughly 268.55 mph, harnessing 1,200 hp from 16 cylinders. Bugatti verifies it’s the quickest supercar of its time, and Forbes confirms.
So, what’s the connection between the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport and the Fast and Furious movies? In Furious 7, Roman drives a Bugatti Veyron. The sports car in the film wasn’t the fastest record-holding Super Sport version of the Bugatti, but still an incredible ride. The real-world Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is sold out. But had you been lucky and rich enough to nab one, it would have cost you upwards of $2,400,000.
Some of the fastest cars in the world make appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise. It’s those iconic and legendary rides that help make the series of movies so popular with fans. And if there ever were a supercar worthy of being called “fast” and “furious,” it’s the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, even if the SuperSport version doesn’t make it into the movies. Who knows? Maybe a future installment of the film franchise will offer a glimpse of this sports car, or film-modified version of one, in action.
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