As McCarthy says, “I can tell you all the actual crash and destruction of vehicles is real,” McCarthy said, when asked which stunts were real and which existed only on a computer screen. “That’s very rare. And I think that’s what keeps the Fast & Furious franchise above all the others, they keep it real. I think that it would disappoint a lot of fans if they didn’t.”

As you’ll see when you watch the film, there is extensive CGI (for example, bringing down the plane), but there is also a much higher degree of realism than you would expect in an action film.

And then there were the two actual Chieftain tanks (the main battle tank of the United Kingdom, in service since the ’60s thru 1995 – highly modified to look modern),  plus two mockups built on motor home chassis. You can only drive a real tank on certain roads because of their extreme weight. So you can’t try this at home, although you can in Minnesota.

Credit: Jaimie Trueblood / Universal Pictures

Fast and Furious 6 does indeed top Fast and Furious 5, which was not an easy thing to accomplish. For part 6, we’ve got the flip car, the tanks, and the plane. What could top those? We’ll see in Fast and Furious 7, which is already in pre-production for the summer of 2014.

Original article: Fast and Furious 6: “They Got a Tank”

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

You get this movie trailer in the Fast and Furious style for Bullitt!

Original article: A Fast and Furious Bullitt???

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Now this new featurette has been released.. and the story is in here. It’s the only spoiler in the video that is new.. otherwise the previous trailers (trailer #1 and trailer #2)have revealed several elements of the storyline. If you don’t mind the spoiler, or can’t help yourself, watch the video.

Set your system to full screen, turn up the volume – and enjoy!

Original article: New Fast and Furious 6 Story Featurette Reveals the Letty story

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

We’ll find out more on May 24, 2013, the North American premier of Fast and Furious 6!

Original article: Fast and Furious 6: returning stars!

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Owen Shaw is the bad guy in the film, whereas Riley is the good girl – as usual in this series a tough girl, but on the right side of the law.

If you are following the news about the movie, you’ll note that Jason Statham also has a small role in this film, as the brother of Owen Shaw. He’ll be back in Fast and Furious 7.

Original article: Fast and Furious 6: introducing two new characters

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The movie tells the story of the 1976 Formula 1 points championship battle between Kiki Lauda and James Hunt.

Will this film end up on our Top 5 list of the all-time great movies for car enthusiasts? It’s looking better for inclusion – we’ll let you know when the movie opens in North American on September 20th (and one week earlier in Britain).

Original article: Second trailer for Formula 1 movie “Rush”

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Original article: Watch the trailer for Formula 1 movie “Rush”

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

We already know Michael Rodriquez returns – she’s been shown in previews shooting Dom (!). Nonetheless, to keep it a secret, the studio has left her out of the movies posters – so far.

Taking a closer look at the latest poster, below, we have to ask who the woman to the far left is?

Could that be Nathalie Kelley, reprising the Neela character from Fast and Furious 3 (Tokyo Drift)? Look the lines of her face, her jaw – that sure doesn’t look like Michelle Rodriquez.

Ok, we’re probably wrong…. especially since in the mixed up timeline of the Fast and Furious series, it’s  been declared that Fast and Furious 3 takes place in the future – after parts 6 and 7 (yes, that’s how Han is alive for parts 5, 6, ands 7).

Original article: Fast and Furious 6: Nathalie Kelley (Neela) returns?

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

But how is it done… is such a thing even possible?

Not that it matters… the Fast and Furious movies have always required as big a shot of “suspension of disbelief” as they have of NOS.

But if it does matter, and if it’s maybe just possible, then read this article in The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/13/3983722/a-dissertation-on-the-aerodynamics-of-fast6-plane-crash

Original article: The Verge presents a dissertation on the Fast and Furious 6 plane take-down

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Highlighting the history of alternatively ruling and sucking, what makes it rule, and what is most improbable. Summarizing (in our humble opinion):

• Part 1 was great
• Part 2 stunk
• Part 3 was great (set in Japan)
• Part 4 was bizarre (but made over $150M)
• Part 5 rules again.

What will Part 6 do? Here is our famous Fast & Furious Rules/Sucks chart with infamous links (click on them all!).

Movie Posters

6. Fast and Furious 6

5. Fast 5

4. Fast and Furious

3. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

2. 2 Fast 2 Furious

1. The Fast and the Furious

Movie Trailers

6. Fast and Furious 6

5. Fast 5

4. Fast and Furious

3. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

2. 2 Fast 2 Furious

1. The Fast and the Furious

Original article: Our tribute to The Fast and the Furious series

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The official story:

Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of all-stars as the global blockbuster franchise built on speed races to its next continent in Fast & Furious 6. Reuniting for their most high-stakes adventure yet, fan favorites Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Elsa Pataky are joined by badass series newcomers Luke Evans and Gina Carano.

Since Dom (Diesel) and Brian’s (Walker) Rio heist toppled a kingpin’s empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete. Meanwhile, Hobbs (Johnson) has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind (Evans) is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty (Rodriguez). The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.

Trailer #2:

Original article: Fast and Furious 6 – second trailer

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Well, it’s Jason Statham as the bad guy.

And we won’t say more. Read the spoiler here on Ain’t It Cool, and decide for yourself is this is real or not.

Original article: Fast and Furious 7: SPOILER

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

It’s nicely done, and while 7 certainly won’t be the last film in the franchise, this is one possible future.

Original article: Is this the trailer for Fast and Furious 7?

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

According to the Fast & Furious rules/sucks chart below, with a consistent rules/sucks pattern, part 6 is supposed to suck. But judging from the trailer it might not: 

Summarizing, in our humble opinion, Part 1 was great, Part 2 stunk, Part 3 was great (set in Japan), Part 4 was bizarre (but made over $150M), and Part 5 rules again. What will Part 6 do? Here is our famous Fast & Furious Rules/Sucks chart with infamous links (click on them all!).

We’ll know for sure (at least in North America) on May 24, 2013.

Original article: Fast and Furious 6 might not suck!

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

We’ll have to wait until the May 24, 2013 release date to see Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster (yum!), Tyrese Gibson (isn’t he dead yet?), Gina Carano, Joe Taslim, Luke Evans, and the return of Michelle Rodriquez (!).

Speaking of Michelle Rodriquez, didn’t her character die? Apparently not, or perhaps we’ll have the old twin sister trick (not that F&F ever plays such tricks, even though Han’s character also died in a glorious crash). We’ll have to wait and see.

The official trailer isn’t out yet, but we do have the first set interview, revealing more of the same mix that revitalized the series in Part 5:

Here’s some video of the film crew shooting a crash in Scotland (warning, violence, hide your kids and do not try this yourself!):

As you can see, each few seconds on film can take hours to shoot. Hopefully, like the last F&F installments, bystanders and crew will continue to leak film and video. Here are two images from the set:

Here’s Dom, who has no doubt transported one his favorite muscle cars to Europe in order to better blend in. What’s that he is next to? We’d guess a Ford Cortina?

Undoubtedly a spoiler, but who would be surprised to find that Dwayne the US Federal Agent has put aside the law and is once again working with Dominic and the crew on a heist.

Will the Fast & Furious rules/sucks pattern repeat itself with Part 6? How could it not! Summarizing, in our humble opinion, Part 1 was great, Part 2 stunk, Part 3 was great (set in Japan), Part 4 was bizarre (but made over $150M), and Part 5 rules again. What will Part 6 do? Here is our famous Fast & Furious Rules/Sucks chart and infamous links.

Lastly, we’ll leave you with a question to ponder. Over the years, movies and television have presented us with eternal questions. We’ll add one to this timeless list:

• Ginger or MaryAnn? (be sure to X out the message)
• Pam or Jenna? (or is it Elena or Rebecca?)
• And now: Letty or Mia?

Original article: Fast and Furious 6 in production: the latest news

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The Sweeney was made with the help of Top Gear UK, which participated in the filming of a chase scene. Clarkson, May, and Hammond are credited as stunt drivers. And the Flying Squad is equipped with a Ford Focus ST. Shameless product promotion, or simply the best weapon for the job? We’ll choose the latter, since the impact the new ST is making worldwide has as its root the dynamic brilliance of the car.

“Sometimes you have to act like a criminal, to catch a criminal.”

The Sweeney premiers September 12, 2012 in the U.K.

Further reading: catch our reviews of over 150 films of interest to car enthusiasts here: CarMovieEnthusiast.com!

Ford Press Release:

ALL-NEW FORD FOCUS ST PREMIERES IN THE SWEENEY

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 3 September 2012  –  Ford’s first global performance car takes centre stage this month with a starring role in new film blockbuster The Sweeney.

Premiered tonight in London, Flying Squad detectives Jack Regan (Ray Winstone) and George Carter (Ben Drew aka Plan B) lead a cast of crime-busting officers as they pursue London’s criminals in black Ford Focus ST high-performance hatchbacks.

On sale this month in five other colours including Tangerine Scream and Spirit Blue, the Ford Focus ST’s 2.0-litre 250PS EcoBoost engine and explosive acceleration ensure the film’s criminals struggle to make a clean getaway.

The Sweeney director and co-writer Nick Love, whose prior credits include The Football Factory and The Firm, said:  “It was important for me to collaborate with Ford on The Sweeney as their legacy with the original TV show is so strong – they’re the perfect partner.  I like the Ford Focus ST so much, I want one!”

The Ford Focus ST goes head to head with a Jaguar XFR on a high-octane chase scene in the film.  The cars will again recreate their duel at CarFest North at Cholmondeley, Cheshire, this weekend after appearing at last month’s CarFest South.

Ford’s strong link with the 1970s Sweeney TV series saw Regan, Carter and their Flying Squad colleagues use a string of Ford Granadas, Consuls and Cortinas to make the streets of London a safer place.

Anthony Ireson, Ford Britain marketing director, said:  “The new Focus ST is a hugely exciting car for Ford with terrific dynamic credibility.  It will be a car for real driving enthusiasts, so Regan and Carter won’t be disappointed.”

The new Ford Focus ST five door is priced from £21,995, with a stylish estate body style debuting at £23,095.  By the end of August, Ford dealers had taken over 450 orders for the Blue Oval’s latest performance car prior to it reaching their showrooms this month.

# # #

Original article: Ford Focus ST features in new movie The Sweeney

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This is a very serious and meticulously crafted film, with care taken to get the story and technology right and an estimated budget of $65M USD. Most of the cars used came out of private collections, ensuring accuracy.

Here is the first featurette of the film, which is just starting post-production work now for release in 2013. With footage from the film, and interviews with Ron Howard, Chris Hemsworth (James Hunt), Daniel Brühl (Kicki Lauda), and others.

This is clearly going to be one of the greatest racing films ever made, perhaps the greatest, with emotional levels approaching - but not exceeding – that of Senna.

And we’ll forgive Ron Howard for his earlier car films Eat My Dust (where he starred, with a plot that was basically “Opie gets laid”) and Grand Theft Auto (where he also starred, but more importantly made his Directorial debut). Of course there is also his role in American Graffiti. None of these were standout roles for him, but nonetheless all are now a part of movie history.

Read our reviews of >175 good (and bad) films for driving enthusiasts on our site CarMovieEnthusiast.com.

Original article: Ron Howard and the “Rush” of Grand Prix racing

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

One of the first major spy spoofs (of many) was a series of movies starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm. The Silencers is definitively a product of the ’60s, and perhaps of Las Vegas and the Rat Pack as well. And there is indeed something in The Silencers for car enthusiasts besides the period cars: how about the original Sex Wagon? When you are on the run from the bad guys, with a beautiful babe along, and need to spend the night – your handy 1966 Mercury wagon with a fold-out tent comes in handy. And not just any tent, but a virtual palace fit only for super-stud Dean Martin.

Read more in the press release below from one of our favorite museums, the Volo Auto Museum, who has the original prop car used in the filming.

And note, Elmer Bernstein composed the film score. This was not a low-budget film!

Read our reviews of over 150 car enthusiast movies in our site here!

Clip

Press Release

VOLO, Ill., July 17 2006/PRNewswire/ — After 39 years of hibernation, the 1966 Mercury Station Wagon that served as a love nest for Dean Martin and Stella Stevens in the 1966 movie “The Silencers” is now on permanent display at the Volo Auto Museum.

A stylish, sexy adventure in the tradition of James Bond, “The Silencers” was a big hit for screen legend Martin and Playboy model Stevens. As secret agent Matt Helm, Martin saves the planet from a megalomaniac and his dastardly covert organization.

George Barris, builder of the original Batmobile and other famous Hollywood cars, created the perfect mode of transportation for a spy living the swinging lifestyle made popular by Martin and his Rat Pack friends.      The Sex Wagon, as it’s referred to in the movie, features two separate bedrooms clad in leather upholstery, a fully-stocked martini bar, a tailgate modified to lower as a step, and a working TV, which was a big deal in 1966.

The museum recently purchased the wagon from the private estate of Swing Dance Hall of Fame Member Lou “Bart” Bartolo. A big fan of the three Matt Helm films, Bartolo purchased the wagon from a back-lot sale at Columbia Pictures in 1967 and kept it in storage until his recent death.

The museum spent months restoring the vehicle to its original condition. On July 1, 2006, during a special event at the museum, Barris was reunited with his Sex Wagon for the first time in nearly forty years.      Believing the vehicle had been destroyed, Barris was shocked and thrilled to see the wagon once again and began to recall stories of Martin and Stevens and the production of “The Silencers.”

“For me, this car is a great reminder of a very special time in Hollywood history,” he said. “It brings back a lot of good memories.”

The Volo Auto Museum is home to the George Barris TV & Movie Car Collection, featuring the original Batmobile, The General Lee, K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider and close to 50 other famous vehicles. The Volo Auto Museum, 27582 W. Volo Village Road, Volo, IL, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $8.95. Special rates are available for children, seniors, veterans and active military. Visit http://www.volocars.com or call (815) 385-3644 for details.
SOURCE The Volo Auto Museum

A F VOLO AUTO MUSEUM SEX WAGON VOLO AUTO MUSEUM SEX WAGON Stella Stevens serves Dean Martin a drink while they cruise in the Sex Wagon, the 1966 Mercury Station Wagon that served as a love nest for the screen legends in the 1966 spy movie "The Silencers." The groovy custom car features two separate bedrooms, a fully-stocked martini bar, a tailgate modified to lower as a step, and a TV. After 39 years in storage, the Sex Wagon is now on public display at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, IL. (PRNewsFoto/Volo Auto Museum)

Original article: Car Movie Enthusiast: THE SILENCERS (1966)

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Pretty predictable stuff, but mild by the standards of the SyFy channel. The original book, by Roger Zelazny, was much better and predates the movie by ten years.

The $17M dollar budget resulted in abominably poor production standards, but for driving enthusiasts the star of the movie was the Landmaster. The 12-wheel armor-proof truck was perfectly made for the end of the world and is the real star of the film. Even able to handle giant scorpions, and of course the obligatory mutant humans. You didn’t think you’d be able to drive your S2000 around after the apocalypse, did you?

The Landmaster was built for the film by Dean Jeffries at Jeffries Automotive in Universal City, California. It uses 12 fully functional and articulated wheels, with the idea that should a tire be lost another can be rotated into place. It’s also amphibious, although this capability was portrayed in the film with special effects and a cheesy tiny model. But the rest of the shots are of the real thing, built in 1976 at a cost of $350,000 USD. The Landmaster survived to appear in several events on the car show circuit, but our understanding is that it is currently in disrepair after vandals damaged it. You may have seen the Landmaster in shows years ago and you may even have seen in on the streets of California since at one time it was licensed for street use.

More reading:

• The definitive Landmaster site
• DrivingEnthusiast Car Movie section: reviews of hundreds of films of interest to the Driving Enthusiast!

Original article: Movie Cars: The Landmaster

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

But what we call the modern era involves high performance V-8 soundtracks, squealing rubber, turns and jumps that are difficult but still possible (versus the cartoonish “Fast and Furious” type car films of more current times), and intelligent drivers who are not muscleheads but do appreciate their cars (aka not Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel). Steve McQueen gave us this era, and it was followed up by all sorts of actors including John Wayne (McQ) and Roy Scheider.

Yes, Roy Scheider, before he hit the big-time in Jaws (and his creative peak, All That Jazz). The Seven Ups was intended as a follow-up to The French Connection II, but only the bare background of the story remains. Scheider plays the head of an elite police unit in New York City (where else?) that actually existed. Their job is to take on the toughest crimes with the toughest methods. This is the best type of classic police movies: the city is tough, gritty, and violent, scheming criminals are pervasive and many cops are dirty, but a handful of dedicated officers are even tougher and are determined to clean up their piece of the streets – no matter what it takes.

Spoiler alert: thanks to YouTube, we can offer the entire chase here. But we still recommend that you add the film to your collection because it’s one of the absolute all-time greats for driving (and chase) enthusiasts. Background to the video clip below: the bad guys have just killed a police officer. Roy gives chase in his personal Pontiac Ventura, obviously enhanced with an engine it never came with and featuring plenty of extra power. The chase itself is fabulous and very well done, and you’ll recognize many parts of New York City from those days. Lots of fun details: no seatbelts, kids in street, and bad New York City traffic (but not a quarter as bad as it is now).

But watch what happens to end the chase – this is absolutely unique and you will feel what happens to Scheider. Could you come up with a better ending than that? No! Turn up your sound, go full screen, and enjoy:

Did you notice? The bad guy driver is indeed Bill Hickman. You know him from essentially the same role in Bullitt as the driver of the black Charger. Hickman worked on Bullitt, The French Connection, and The Seven Ups. He was also first on the scene when James Dean died in his Porsche 550 Spyder.

We love these old films about the dirty, impersonal, and cold New York City – the one that existed just before Rudy G cleaned it  all up (and it’s a good thing he did). Films like The French Connection, The Seven Ups, the original (and far better) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and of course Shaft (the walk thru Times Square is highlighted in college film courses)  are the definition of that time period.

Read more about hundreds of great films for the driving enthusiast on our sister site CarMovieEnthusiast.com!

Original article: The Seven Ups: Roy Scheiders perfect car chase

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Yes, it’s actually a film for car enthusiasts: the Lincoln Continental (complete with suicide doors) and the old ‘vette are classics. And just look at all those other classics in the front yard of the Delta frat house below. Plus, this film is the definition of the term “road trip”.

We remember seeing this film on opening day - and the theater was packed. Every single seat taken. And we haven’t seen a film since where the audience was so totally involved in the film. It was an immediate smash hit and has been a cult classic ever since. There are any number of infamous quotes from the film, such as the immortal “Do you mind if we dance with your dates”. See more quotes here. Be sure to listen to the commentary on the DVD ”making of” to hear about the night the actors went to a real frat house party – and got their butts kicked big time!

Our site CarMovieEnthusiast.com lists over 200 car movies, where cars are the theme or major supporting element, with reviews and (if we’ve seen it or own it) details.

The 4th generation Lincoln Continental (’61-’69) is one of our favorite classic cars of all time, one of the must-haves for our own garage someday. It starts out immaculate…

…suffers greatly in the road trip sequence (“You f***** up, you trusted us. Hey, make the best of it!”), and is then reborn (“Ramming Speed!”) near the end of the film.

Whatever happened to the prop Lincoln? There were multiple versions made for the movie, and since then any number of fakes have popped up. You can see one of the fakes at Universal Studios in California. Fans of the movie (who, like us, can recite every line verbatim) will spot the differences from the original immediately!

The same person who made the infamous College sweatshirt for John Belushi is still making them after all these years. We have one ourselves… and it’s always interesting to see who in restaurants and bars recognizes it.  You can buy the real thing here (not affiliated with this site, but my experience with them and the quality of the sweatshirt has been excellent). Don’t settle for imitations!

There is also a website page dedicated the cars of Animal House. See the Acme Animal House Cars page.

One of the best books ever written about Animal House is “A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever“. Doug Kenney played The Stork in the film, and died tragically a few years later. We finished this book in a single seating, and very much enjoyed remembering the glory days of National Lampoon and Animal House. Available in print or Kindle.

Original article: Animal House – yes, it is a car movie!

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Nonetheless, this is a Fast & Furious movie that has a lot to offer, starting with the combination of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. And with the delectable Jordana Brewster (soon to star in the returning TV series Dallas). Added bonus: Dwayne Johnson as an agent charged with bringing Diesel and Walker to justice (don’t ask what American agents armed with automatic weapons are doing in Brazil).

Where does it go over the top? A worrisome stunt that could have pushed this movie all the way into the “sucks” zone:  pulling an entire bank vault out of it’s building with two cars, and then dragging it across town with the police in pursuit. Huh? If you don’t know how to suspend your disbelief after 4 previous movies, then this is not the series for you.

And when you see it, be sure to stay thru the credits for the background of the 6th installment of the series. Dwayne Johnson has already signed… and the other cast member is a surprising bit of good news. We could say more but that would be a spoiler.

Here’s the original Fast 5 trailer:

Original article: Fast Five on Blue-Ray and DVD arrives October 4

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Craig has some designs of cars that were rejected for the films, as well as some scripts with lines and scenes that didn’t make it. In both cases thankfully.

Enjoy!

Original article: The Smoking Tire smokes The Fast and the Furious

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

And a decent storyline, too. Very very different from Fast and Furiouses (Furioi?) that came before… a new direction for the franchise.

Not to spoil anything, but be sure to stay thru the credits for the background of the 6th installment of the series. Dwayne Johnson has already signed… and we could say more but that would be a spoiler.

If there is one person who wouldn’t like this film, it’d be the Frowning Flower Girl (from today’s Royal Wedding):

Original article: Fast Five: First Impression

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Continue reading: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/foreign-box-office-fast-five-181538

Original article: Fast & Furious 5 (Fast Five)

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Screen writer Chris Morgan has just signed a first-look contact. He is of course well known to fans, having written parts 3 thru 5.

Original article: Fast & Furious 6 in the starting grid!

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

What’s a Fast & Furious movie without the combination of Paul Walker and Vin Diesel (as as saw in part 2, nothing). And in #5 we’ve even got the delectable Jordana Brewster returning. Added bonus: Dwayne Johnson as an agent charged with bringing Diesel and Walker to justice (don’t ask what American agents armed with automatic weapons are doing in Brazil). And a worrisome stunt that may just push the movie all the way into the “sucks” zone:  pulling an entire bank vault out of it’s bank with two cars, and then dragging it away with the police in pursuit. Huh? If you don’t know how to suspend your disbelief after 4 previous movies, then this stunt is not for you.

Will the Fast & Furious rules/sucks pattern repeat itself? We’ll see on premier night and let you know, but in the meantime here is our famous Fast & Furious Rules/Sucks chart with infamous links. In our humble opinion Part 1 was great, Part 2 stunk, Part 3 was great (set in Japan), Part 4 was lousy (but made over $150M). Here is our chart:

Follow our past adventures with the Fast and Furious franchise by clicking on the Fast and Furious tag.

Original article: Will the infamous Fast & Furious rules/sucks pattern repeat itself?

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Get some background information on the famous Dodge Chargers – classic and new – used in the film direct from the film makers (with some marketing dollars paid by Dodge).

1) Behind Dom’s Charger:

2) Re-igniting Dom’s Charger

3) Chargers Haul Some Major Vault

4) Torreto Stunts and Chargers

5) Performance Enhanced – Our CEO Talks Charger

Original article: Fast & Furious 5: behind the scenes with the Dodge Charger

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Original article: 2nd Fast (and Furious) Five trailer hits the web

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The first is McQ from 1974, featuring Wayne as a Seattle cop with a very nice 2nd gen Firebird Trans Am and a couple of chases. The first chase is if particular interest because the video features overlays showing the streets involved and comments about the modern uses of the buildings and streets. For example, what was a laundry then is a building used by Amazon.com now. This clip should enable you to drive most of the streets involved (we recommend you skip the part under I5 South). We’ve done the drives, for this film as well as for Bullitt. If you are a fan of both Seattle and John Wayne, as we are, then watch closely:

The second is a trailer for Brannigan from 1975, featuring The Duke as a Chicago cop sent to London to bring home an American gangster. With some traditional Brits, a modern young lady officer (thankfully not a love interest, as Wayne was probably 40 years older than her), and a hot chase in a Ford Capri, this film was well received.

Don’t miss the Car Movies section of our website, for reviews of over 150 car films, where cars are the main theme or the star of the show.

Both films have unfortunately faded a bit into obscurity, but are still worthwhile collectibles for John Wayne fans. Here are our recommendations, straight from our own personal collection, along with some good reading about Wayne:

Original article: John Wayne does car chases, too

©2013 DrivingEnthusiast Blog. All Rights Reserved.