CHICAGO, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With Pixar's "Cars" ready to pull
into theaters nationwide, cars.com has issued its list of the best
and worst movie cars. While hundreds of cars have made their way to
the silver screen, the cars.com editorial staff ranks the following
starring models as the top 10 movie cars of all time. From cars
with such notable features as a Flux Capacitor to those with
voice-guided navigation systems, cars.com took a look at all the
distinctive features that made these cars some of the most
memorable in movie history. The Winners: No. 1 1981 DeLorean
DMC-12, "Back to the Future" Drivetrain: 1.21-gigawatt
nuclear/electric hybrid with five-speed manual transmission;
rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Gull-wing doors, 16-port twin
exhaust boxes, Flux Capacitor This was an overwhelming choice for
voters, and why not? Doc Brown's smoke-spewing DeLorean achieves
time travel at 88 mph, thanks to a lithium- powered nuclear reactor
and onboard Flux Capacitor. By the end of the first movie, it runs
solely on trash - and flies. That's still futuristic two decades
after the movie debuted. Sure, the ignition seems to have some
reliability issues, but this car was an easy pick for No. 1. No. 2
1961 Ferrari 250 GT, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" Drivetrain: 280-hp,
3.0-liter V-12 with four-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel
drive Notable Features: Cherry-red exterior, wire grille,
Cameron-sized tonneau compartment This movie is probably
responsible for thousands of teens cutting class to joyride in
their father's car. Of course, none hold a candle to Mr. Frye's
convertible Ferrari. It won votes for all the obvious reasons: It's
red, Italian and fast. No. 3 1974 Dodge Monaco, "The Blues
Brothers" Drivetrain: 275-hp, 7.1-liter V-8 with three-speed
automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Cop
motor, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks You usually don't come
out ahead when swapping a Caddy for a Dodge - unless the Dodge has
a 440-cubic-inch V-8. The car falls apart in the end, but you'd be
hard-pressed to find a vehicle that could survive "a mission from
God." No. 4 1964 Aston Martin DB5, "Goldfinger" Drivetrain: 282-hp,
4.0-liter six-cylinder with four-speed manual transmission;
rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Bulletproof glass, machine guns,
incessantly beeping radar screen Save for the anemic BMW Z3 1.9 in
"GoldenEye," Bond cars are top-notch - the list includes Aston
Martins, Bentleys and Lotuses - but voters agreed the champ is the
Aston Martin DB5 in "Goldfinger." Not only is it gorgeous, it
outruns and out-gadgets all its competitors. Plus it gets plenty of
screen time with the best Bond, Sean Connery. Any dissenters, of
course, are welcome to ride in the "power" passenger seat. No. 5
Batmobile Tumbler, "Batman Begins" Drivetrain: 340-hp, 5.7-liter
V-8 with electronic throttle; electric motor for silent operation;
jet engine for jumps Notable Features: Armor plates all around,
voice-guided navigation system, power driver's seat Batman's
Tumbler stretches the definition of a car, but voters insisted it
belonged on the list. Most vehicles are either nimble or tough, but
the Tumbler is both: it vaults between rooftops and charges through
barriers. Cops spout ineffectual one-liners, and it turns their
cruisers to scrap. The cabin doesn't look very comfortable, but
given the tank-like exterior, it's a wonder Batman even has a place
to sit. No. 6 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390, "Bullitt" Drivetrain:
325-hp, 6.4-liter V-8 with four-speed manual transmission;
rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Fastback roof, higher engine
note than the Charger Never mind the continuity mishaps; just tell
yourself there were a lot of green Volkswagen Beetles in San
Francisco that day. The seven-minute chase scene between Frank
Bullitt's Mustang GT 390 and a hit man's 1968 Dodge Charger is
among the best of its kind. Voters gave Bullitt's car the edge
because, in the end, you have to root for the good guy. No. 7 1959
Cadillac Ambulance, "Ghostbusters" Drivetrain: 325-hp, 6.4-liter
V-8 with two-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable
Features: Tailfins, flashing lights, sirens, attached ladder Though
it plays a relatively small part in its film, the Ectomobile is the
finest medical movie car to date. What it lacks in brute force it
makes up in style, with red tailfins, strobe lights and more roof
gear than a fire truck. Should there ever be a remake, the new
Ectomobile should be a Dodge Magnum. No. 8 1958 Plymouth Fury,
"Christine" Drivetrain: 305-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 with three-speed
automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features:
Rewinding odometer, bending sheet metal, bloodlust for young
guttersnipes Never mind that Christine runs amok all night killing
people - voters loved the idea of a self-repairing car. That it's
curvy, red and fast probably helped, too. No. 9 1973 Ford Falcon,
"The Road Warrior" Drivetrain: 300-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 with
four-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features:
Hood-mounted air intake, gas tanks in back, dash-mounted shotgun
Maybe if Max Rockatansky drove a more fuel-efficient car, he
wouldn't have to spend his days scouring the post-apocalypse
Australian desert for gas. Of course, then his car wouldn't be
tough enough to take down the marauders he's after, and it wouldn't
have received as many votes. Fortunately, Mad Max's Falcon police
interceptor has all the right goodies: side exhaust, a supercharger
and giant, dust-kicking tires. 10. 2003 Mini Cooper S, "The Italian
Job" Drivetrain: 163-hp, supercharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder
engine with six- speed manual transmission; front-wheel drive
Notable Features: 200 pounds lighter than stock Cooper S; painted
red, white or blue Larger cars would have rubbed fenders with light
poles and tunnel walls, but thanks to a nimble fleet of Mini
Coopers, a band of conspirators manages to escape captors down
congested streets, parks and subway tunnels. Computer- rigged
signals aid the getaway, stopping cross traffic at red lights.
Sounds like California dreaming for drivers. The Losers Like the
Top 10 Movie Cars, the losers were memorable in their own right - -
but for all the wrong reasons. Cars.com took into account all the
things that make movie cars un-cool and compiled a list of the five
worst. No. 1 1983 Ford LTD Country Squire, "Vacation" Drivetrain:
200-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 with four-speed automatic transmission;
rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Wood siding, hood-routed gas
intake, driver-side airbag It's metallic pea, not Antarctic blue.
There's no rallye fun package, either. Rather, the Griswolds' Wagon
Queen Family Truckster is every family's worst vacation memory. As
the salesman said, "You think you hate it now, but wait till you
drive it." No. 2 1974 Dodge Tradesman, "Napoleon Dynamite"
Drivetrain: 180-hp, 5.9-liter V-8 with three-speed automatic
transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Camper top,
Tupperware-crushing fortitude Uncle Rico's orange Tradesman is the
go for his gig, peddling Tupperware and, um, herbal enhancements
door-to-door. Grapefruit resistance notwithstanding, the van is
about as cheesetastic as Rico's frigate models. No. 3 Winnebago
Chieftain, "Spaceballs" Drivetrain: Wing thrusters and secret
hyperjets with electronic throttle; no-wheel drive Notable
Features: Raspberry radar jammer, retractable ladder Eagle 5
reaches hyperactive speed and accommodates four occupants - not to
mention a tool rack, fire hydrant and giant hair dryer - but its
poor gas mileage and limited power means it won't outrun Spaceball
One, which can hit ludicrous speed. Sorry, Lone Starr: The Schwartz
is not with you. No. 4 1984 Ford Econoline, "Dumb and Dumber"
Drivetrain: 114-hp, 4.9-liter six-cylinder with three-speed
automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Nose,
ears, tongue and other canine appendages Lloyd calls it the
shaggin' wagon, but there isn't much of that going on in Harry
Dunne's Mutt Cuts van. Worse yet, it isn't properly equipped for
the job: With Harry's driving, unrestrained pooches lose their perm
in no time. No. 5 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, "Herbie: Fully Loaded"
Drivetrain: 190-hp, 2.3-liter four-cylinder with four-speed manual
transmission; rear-wheel drive Notable Features: Racing stripes,
spoiler, delusions of personality There's no doubt a 1,834-pound
car with a 190-hp racing motor would be quick - it has a better
power-to-weight ratio than a Maserati Spyder. But paired with
Lindsay Lohan and her kid-friendly cohorts, Herbie doesn't compare
to his original "Love Bug" self. About cars.com Partnered with more
than 200 leading metro newspapers, television stations and their
websites, cars.com is the most comprehensive destination for those
looking to buy or sell a new or used car. The site lists more than
1.5 million vehicles from 10,000 dealer customers, classified
advertisers and private parties to offer consumers the best
selection of new and used cars online, as well as the content,
tools and advice to support their shopping experience. Recently
selected by Forbes.com as a Best of the Web site for car shopping,
cars.com combines powerful inventory search tools and new-car
configuration with pricing information, photo galleries, buying
guides, side-by-side comparison tools, original editorial content
and reviews to help millions of car shoppers connect with sellers
each month. Launched in June 1998, cars.com is a division of
Classified Ventures, LLC, (< http://classifiedventures.com/
>), which is owned by six leading media companies, including
Belo (NYSE:BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Knight Ridder
(NYSE:KRI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), Tribune Company
(NYSE:TRB) and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO). DATASOURCE:
cars.com CONTACT: Steve Nolan, Public Relations Manager of
cars.com, +1-312-601-5163 (direct), +1-630-310-2468 (mobile), Web
site: http://www.cars.com/
Copyright
Belo (NYSE:BLC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024
Belo (NYSE:BLC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024