Hollywood Hot Wheels: Round 01

[Neon Ignition]

WELCOME TO:

HOLLYWOOD HOT WHEELS


Taking a tour through the history of the industries most recognisable vehicles we won't be just restricting ourselves to vehicles with four wheels. Instead we'll be covering all manners of iconic designs from film, tv and gaming, their history and what you think of them.

Each round will see three vehicles lined up for the showcase. Unlike the voting conducted in the other threads, here things are more cutthroat.

You each can only vote for a single design in each round, casting the other two to the scrapheap of Hollywood history.
Make your choice then tell us why you like or don't like each vehicle and why you voted for the one you did.


VEHICLE 001 - Armored Personnel Carrier




Made for the second Alien movie, the APC is probably the most recognisable vehicle from the franchise. The APC was just a UK airport Towing Tractor redressed but that didn't stop it from making an imposing presence from the second it first appeared on screen. Acquired from its life towing planes at London Heathrow Airport, it took two weeks to strip 42 tons of weight from the original machine to make it practical for filming use. In the 1990's the studio parked it on a studio lot for several years leading to it falling into disrepair and sadly it was scrapped in 2000.

Is the APC your choice for Round One or does the idea of someone looking to vote for it make you feel like screaming?

->Open Spoiler<-

VEHICLE 002 - 1968 Ford Mustang
Driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullit, this Ford Mustang still exists today and holds the title of being the most valuable Mustang in the world having sold at auction in 2020 for $3.7m. For some, the car is central to what they consider to be the greatest car chase in cinematic history. It's a claim that has enshrined the car as a movie legend.




Are you of the mind that you can't argue with a Hollywood classic?




VEHICLE 003 - Lotus Esprit S1
For the most part, a new model of car in a Bond film is a given but the Esprit has always stood out for fans thanks to its clean, distinct sharp lines and looks as well as its infamous transformation into a submarine. Eight Esprit's were used in the film but only two were driveable, one of those was actually adapted to be semi-functional as a submarine. Following the films marketing being completed, the car was stored in a warehouse for ten years before being sold to a buyer for just $100 as part of a blind auction of storage lockers. In 2013 it was auctioned again but with everyone knowing what it was they were bidding on this time it sold for $997,000 to Elon Musk.





Your top choice from this round or does it deserve to sleep with the fishes?

->Open Spoiler<-

Which is the ultimate Hollywood Hot Wheel?

[Atticus]

Cool idea

The Mustang and Esprit are iconic but the APC is 100% a movie vehicle from the ground up, built for the harshness of space badassery. It's such a cool design. Cameron has a golden touch with heavy duty machinery (look at the giant stuff in Avatar) and this is no exception. It looks indestructable. Aliens is full of cool stuff

[Colin]

Very, very difficult choice between the Mustang and Esprit. Yeah, the APC is cool and all, but the two cars are absolutely iconic and ingrained in to my mind from the films they starred in. As a kid I would've went for the Esprit without thinking, as an old man it would be the Mustang though.

[wakka]

Only one of these transforms into a submarine making it a very easy choice indeed.

[Asura]

The APC.

But that's because, controversial opinion about Bullitt - it's a boring movie that contains a good chase scene.

[QualityChimp]

More thread gold again, Neon!

You can get lost making have to choose, though!

The Aliens APC is mint. Badass, unique and cool.
Every time I'm at the airport, I'm looking for similar vehicles.
Downsides are that it doesn't look very comfortable, the transaxle is easily blown and driving over one alien melts the tires and you're grinding metal.
It's heavily armed, but you never get to see it fire, so doesn't fulfil its screen potential.

The Bullitt Mustang is so iconic.
I even arranged for a friend to be taken to his wedding in one, to arrive in style!
They're really odd to ride in because the bonnet just goes on forever.
It felt more like being in a boat than a car!
Going to deduct points for the cars losing 43 hubcaps during the chase and driving past the same Beetle 18 times.
Also, it's pretty stock with no gadgets or anything to set it aside from one any schmoe could walk into a dealership and buy.

The SWLM Lotus Esprit is the one for me, though.
I've always loved this car ever since being a kid and having the little Corgi version of it.
I never had the pricier bigger version that fired torpedoes like some kids at school, but it's a shape I've always loved.
I think the colour is ingrained in me too because I drive a white car and all my cars in GTA are white like the Lotus.

The story of how the car got into the film is amazing:
"Before the Lotus Esprit had even been chosen as 007’s transport, Lotus PR boss Don McLauchlan – or Don Mac as he was known at Hethel – pulled off a high-risk stunt of his own. It was part of a strategy to make the Bond franchise production team, based at Pinewood Studios, London, actually want the Esprit for the next James Bond film.

Don was trying to get a Lotus Europa into The New Avengers TV series. This was very possible, as the Elan and Europa had already taken starring roles in an earlier show, The Avengers. During a lunch at Pinewood, Don was secretly slipped a piece of paper from another film contact with the words ‘See me – Bond’ written on it. He made his excuses, slipped away from The New Avengers team (who went on to choose an MG and a Triumph) and met with his contact. Don was tipped off that the Bond producers were looking for a car that could become a submarine.

Of course, that information was highly confidential at the time, so Don decided rather than approach the Bond production team directly, he needed a way to get them to come to him.

He took a red pre-production Esprit down to Pinewood Studios and let the car do the talking. Early one morning he parked it outside the main door where all the senior management had their offices, and left it in such a way that everyone had to walk around it to get into the building. To encourage further interest he removed or covered any branding from the car, including on the speedometer, gear knob and steering wheel. He even covered up the word Lotus on the tax disc!

Don moved it several times around the studio complex throughout the day to ensure it was seen by as many people as possible. At the end of the day, where a small crowd had gathered around the car, Don – saying nothing except “Excuse me please” – pushed past, got in the car and drove off.

The production team’s interest was piqued and asked a colleague, who was conveniently one of Don’s friends at Pinewood, to find out what the car was. Primed with a response, this friend said, “I can’t really tell you – it’s a prototype.” Under further pressure he responded, “Oh, all right then, I can give you a phone number...” The film’s Head of Special Effects duly called Lotus and the rest is history.

A white Esprit was chosen. The legendary cinematographer Claude Renoir insisted on white to make the car look stunning in both the bright Mediterranean sunshine and underwater."

In the movie world, it's more subtle than an APC and has more gadgets than a Mustang, so it wins there.
In the real world, it's also a pretty decent run around (well the Turbo version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIn7gCN6uC4

Last year, I finally got to Florida and I went to the Dezerland exhibition, which has a collection of cars from around the world, movie cars and specifically a Bond section. Some of these I'd seen before in "Keswick's Cars of the Stars", but some were new to me.

As a Bond fan, I went a bit giddy just walking in...



Specifially for the SPWLM Lotus, they had one that was used for scenes with Roger Moore and a model of the submarine mode. These were actually used in the film and despite being pushing 50 years old, still look futuristic.

[Lebowski]

The APC is cool but the Lotus Esprit S1 is the car for me, not only was a it a cool car but it was a stand out moment in the film when it turned into a sub.


My brother posted my toy version of it into a wall cavity behind a skirting board and it was never seen again. thousands of years from now, archeologists will find all the star wars figures and toy cars and wonder if these where religious relics as this little brown bear man and this the black helmet man, seem to show up a lot.

[Neon Ignition]

APC for me, the submarine element of the Esprit marks it out but it's always been the most notable feature. It's not a design that pops with me like other iconic film cars because so many sports cars look samey. The APC looks amazing and there's no way you could ever not be aware of its presence even if you'd never seen the films in question.

[Atticus]

Transaxle easily blown

[QualityChimp]

the submarine element of the Esprit marks it out but it's always been the most notable feature. It's not a design that pops with me like other iconic film cars because so many sports cars look samey.

With all respects, sir, but you can GTFO with that comment!

There's literally a 5 minute car chase before it even turns into a sub where it outruns a sidecar missile, bounces off bullets, sprays screen-blocking cement from a hidden jet, does a 180 spin and dodges gunfire from a helicopter.

"Looks samey" he says.

[CMcK]

Got to be the Esprit. Seeing how it handles compared to your typical movie car is a revelation. Almost looks otherwordly as if the footage had been sped up.

[teddymeow]

The Mustang.

Bonus points for also appearing in the amazing Nic Cage "vehicle" Gone in 60 Seconds.

Oh, Eleanor...

[Lebowski]

With all respects, sir, but you can GTFO with that comment!

There's literally a 5 minute car chase before it even turns into a sub where it outruns a sidecar missile, bounces off bullets, sprays screen-blocking cement from a hidden jet, does a 180 spin and dodges gunfire from a helicopter.

"Looks samey" he says.

this post has got some real partridge energy

Stop getting bond wrong

[Yakumo]

Only one of these transforms into a submarine making it a very easy choice indeed.

Indeed. No contest at all . Bond and his Esprit all the way.

[Neon Ignition]

does a 180 spin

"Looks samey" he says.

Pah! That's nothing! He does that with a rusty double decker bus