Nothing gets our pulses raising in movies like a well-executed car chase. Last year gave us plenty of memorable movie car chases, but this year is already looking even better with the return of major franchises such as Fast and Furious, Transformers and Disney-Pixar's Cars. Without further ado, here are the car movies we can't wait to watch in 2017. Which of these movies is making your engine rev the most?
Who would have thought a cult film about street racing would spawn seven sequels? The Fast and Furious franchise has become an unstoppable cash cow, to the point that the last film stands as the sixth highest grossest film of all time. Madness. Each film has managed to outdo the last when it comes to ludicrous set pieces, and movie number eight, The Fate of the Furious, looks to up the ante even further: the first action-packed trailer ended with a submarine obliterating everything in its path. Gearheads will be pleased to see cars that rarely feature in films such as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, a Plymouth GTX and a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Even the plot sounds intriguing, involving series veteran Dominic Toretto played by Vin Diesel turning against his "family" crew in some sort of sinister plot involving Charlize Theron. Think Captain America Civil War with cars. April 14 can't come soon enough.
We couldn't believe our eyes when we saw the shocking teaser trailer for Cars 3. Compared to the lighthearted and upbeat tone of the first two films, Cars 3 looked like it was steering the series into a dark new direction. Luckily, Cars hasn't lost any of its charm judging from the full trailer. The lovable Lightning McQueen came close to meeting his maker in a horrific crash that nearly put him out of racing for good. The story will focus on McQueen facing new nemesis Jackson Storm, a high-tech hybrid hypercar that makes the older, traditionally-engineered McQueen seem obsolete by comparison.
The animation looks slicker than ever, the plot seems to flesh out the characters and we love how it depicts the changes the auto industry is facing with the rise of hybrid hypercars. Cars 3 will still no doubt be aimed at kids offering life-learning lessons, but there should be enough substance for adults to savor as well when it charges into cinemas June 16.
You can always count on Michael Bay to take cinematic carnage to absurd new levels. No other movie can match the Transformers' big screen spectacle of explosions, crumbling buildings and gratuitous use of slo-mo. While the series is mostly about fighting robots, the Transformers movies have still managed to cram in some car-focused action scenes. An Aston Martin DB11, Mercedes-AMG GT R and a new Bumblebee Chevrolet Camaro have already been confirmed to feature in Transformers: The Last Knight, so we can't help but get our hopes up.
Like Cars 3, the initial teaser trailer was surprisingly somber, with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of the Lamborghini Centenario hurtling through the streets of London. Behind the scenes footage promises a destructive chase through the English capital which has the potential to be the best in the series yet. Transformers: The Last Knight will be blasting into theaters June 23.
Mad Max Fury Road's Nicholas Hoult and Rogue One's Felicity Jones star in Collide, an American-German action movie that seems more concerned with crashing cars in creative ways than having a compelling plot. Not that we're complaining. The story has something to do with drug smugglers and rescuing his kidnapped girlfriend, but it's all just an excuse to get to the high-octane action scenes with Hoult behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Rapide S, Jaguar XFR, Mercedes SLS and a Citroen C5. No prizes for guessing which one gets the most banged up by the end of the movie.
The stunt work looks nothing short of spectacular, as cars crash, flip and explode on the German autobahn. Collide was originally meant to hit theaters last summer, but it's now on track for a US release on February 29. Looks like a treat if all you want from your movies is crazy automotive action.
Despite featuring prominently in trailers, the roaring 1969 Ford Mustang had precious little screen time in Keanu Reeves' action movie comeback John Wick. While the film concluded with a night time chase demolishing several Dodge Chargers, we wanted to see more Mustang. John Wick: Chapter 2 continues the story of the revenge-seeking retired hitman, and trailers have shown he hasn't lost his love for muscle cars which will hopefully make up for the first film. The sequel will apparently open with a captivating car chase, with Reeves performing a lot of his own stunt driving.
The trailer treats us to scenes of a vintage Mustang and Chevrolet Chevelle evading gun-wielding assassins on bikes through the night time streets of New York. John Wick: Chapter 2 will be shooting its way to cinemas February 10.
