There Are Some Things CGI Can Never Replace
From creating alien worlds to magic before our eyes, movie technology can do some pretty incredible things. However, there's nothing quite as satisfying in cinema as watching an actual guy perform real stunts behind the wheel of a car, no matter how many Aston Martins get ruined in the process. From a record-breaking barrel roll to breathtaking aerial jumps, here are the most iconic car stunts in movie history.
1. Casino Royale
Casino Royale sees James Bond pursuing a kidnapper in his beautiful Aston Martin DBS and while we hate to see such a beautiful car get destroyed, we can at least find some solace in the fact that they made history doing it. After Bond is forced to swerve off-road, his car flips over and ends up breaking the record for the highest number of cannon rolls in a film.
2. Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a movie centered around car chases. The most impressive stunt is arguably stuntman Alan Gibbs' 70-foot high jump over the Jonesboro River in a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am fitted with a souped-up engine.
Watkinssportswear on Wikimedia
3. John Wick 2
This sequel picks up right where the first one left off with one of the best car jumps in film. In a 1969 Mustang, John Wick does a sideways drift jump through a warehouse door in the rain. The stunt, which was actually performed by a seasoned stuntman, took an immense amount of precision and the destruction of one Mustang to pull off as perfectly as they did.
4. Gone in 60 Seconds
Gone in 60 Seconds was written by, directed, produced, and starred junkyard owner H.B. Halicki who performed all his own driving in the film. There are plenty of stand-out car stunts in the movie but perhaps the most spectacular is when Halicki performs a 128-foot long, 30-foot high jump in his 1973 Ford Mustang.
5. The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight stands out among Batman films largely thanks to his use of practical effects as opposed to CGI which can age poorly. One of the most memorable moments of the film is when an entire tractor-trailer does a vertical flip, landing face down in the middle of Chicago's financial district, achieved with a TNT-powered piston attached to the base of the truck, triggered by a stunt driver behind the wheel.
6. The Man with the Golden Gun
One of the more poorly-received James Bond films still features some pretty cool stunts, namely the corkscrew flip over a river in a 1974 AMC Hornet X. Stunt driver Loren "Bumps" Willert performed the feat in one take.
7. Bad Boys 2
The chaotic car chase sequence in Bad Boys 2 sees the iconic cop duo up against some bad guys wielding a massive car transporter. They have to dodge machine gun fire as well as the cars and even a speed boat being thrown at them.
8. The Blues Brothers
Known for featuring many ionic car stunts The Blue Brothers set a new world record for the number of cars destroyed on one film set. One of the most memorable driving moments sees the bluesmobile driving through Dixie Square Shopping Center, tailed by police.
9. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
An action franchise as grandiose as Mission Impossible is bound to have some pretty great stunt-driving moments. Ghost Protocol sees Ethan Hunt relying on his GPS to track a bad guy through a sandstorm, smashing head-first into the enemy's car.
10. The Fast and the Furious
You can't have a movie all about cars without having some iconic stunt-driving moments. In that regard, The Fast and the Furious certainly delivers with its train track jump sequence which sees Paul Walker and Vin Diesel driving over tracks, narrowly avoiding a freight train only to see Diesel's Dodge Charger get T-boned by a truck, making a horizontal flip.
Universal Pictures on Wikimedia
11. The Bourne Identity
Mini Cooper fans can delight in The Bourne Identity's car chase sequence which takes place on the narrow streets of Paris. Jason Bourne takes a classic MINI for a spin just out of reach of the cops through the cobblestone alleyways and even down some bumpy staircases.
12. Fast Five
In keeping with the theme of the franchise, Fast Five features an epic car chase where Paul Walker and Vin Diesel toe a bank vault behind them through the streets of Rio de Janeiro, destroying upwards of 200 cars in their path. Of course, the safe is CGI, so that many cars weren't destroyed, but it's a creative and well-executed sequence nonetheless.
13. The Seven-Ups
Rumour has it The Seven-Ups' amazing 10-minute car chase took four months to film. It was achieved by mounting cameras inside, outside, and on top of cars, the climactic moment being when a Pontiac Ventura plows into the back of a parked tractor-trailer.
14. Baby Driver
Edgar Wright's first American project gets right into it with an adrenaline-pumping car chase on the streets of Atlanta. It features a quick succession of driving stunts including Baby's Subaru Impreza WRX power sliding uphill around a bend, achieved by a stunt driver working from on top of or on a cage hanging outside of the car while the movie actors were filmed inside the vehicle.
15. The Italian Job
Another one for Mini Cooper enthusiasts, the original Italian Job sees the small, maneuverable cars being used as getaway vehicles. The three Minis drift through the streets, onto buses, and finally, make a spectacular rooftop jump to escape from pursuing police.
16. Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is a platform for some incredible stunt driving. One of the most remarkable car stunts happens when trip wire sends a spiked vehicle flipping into a pit after a hijacking attempt on Furiosa's big rig.
17. Furious 7
The seventh iteration of The Fast and the Furious franchise still manages to keep things fresh when it comes to absurd car stunts. Furious 7 pushes the envelope of stunt driving with their cargo plane drop achieved by skydivers equipped with cameras filming cars being dropped by airplanes flying over the Arizona desert.
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima on Wikimedia
18. Gator
1976's Gator, the sequel to White Lightening is famous for stunt driver Hal Needham's spectacularly performed pickup truck roll. Needham is seen hanging out of the truck while it's speeding at 60 miles per hour up a ramp. He narrowly leaps out of the way as it begins to roll.
19. Thunderbolt
Chan plays a part-time race car driver in the film which is considered by many as the first ever tuner-car flick. It's filled to the brim with car action but perhaps the most memorable moment is when a Mitsubishi Evo III drives on its side through a narrow alleyway.
State Chancellery on Wikimedia
20. Hooper
Renowned stunt driver Hal Needham directed this semi-autobiographical film about an aging stuntman. Needless to say, it featured countless memorable car moments including stunt driver Glenn Wilder's risky Trans Am sprint, narrowly avoiding a collapsing smokestack.
