Cars can be pretty boring.
Fuel economy, practicality, depreciation, emissions; these are all tedious subjects, but necessary considerations when buying a car in the real world.
However, what are cars like when you take real-world considerations out of the equation and live in a world where cars can fly, talk, drive themselves or even take you back in time?
What follows is a list of the ten best and most interesting automotive creations from the pages of science fiction. If only all cars were this exciting...
JohnnyCab - Total RecallTotal Recall details a dystopian future in which flying cars and memory implantation (but not mobile phones) are part of everyday life. Perhaps the most sinister example of this futuristic technology is the JohnnyCab -- an automated taxi piloted by a mannequin. Weirdly, the mannequin delivers a subtler, more nuanced performance than the film's main star, Arnold 'Get To The Choppa' Schwarzenegger. |
|
|
|
|
KITT - Knight RiderKITT was not just a car; it was a computer on wheels -- albeit a slightly effeminate computer on wheels. Apparently, KITT's memory capacity was 1000 megabits, which means that your modern day mobile phone has more memory than this crime-fighting super-car. |
|
Batmobile - Batman Begins/The Dark KnightNo, not the Lincoln from the campy 1960s TV Series; we're talking about the massive pseudo-military tank from the Christian Bale Batman films. Bale's Batmobile can get from 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds thanks to its 5.7-litre V8 engine. And let's face it, if you saw this car trying to emerge from a side turning, you'd let it in. |
|
|
|
|
Lexus - Minority ReportIn 2054, Tom Cruise is the head of a police force which predicts crime before it happens; so it's only right that he should drive around in a pretty impressive set of wheels. The car he drove in the film was a Lexus concept filled with holograms and video screens. Oh, and it could fly. |
|
Pursuit Special - Mad MaxIn a post-apocalyptic world, Max Rockatansky exacts revenge on the motorcycle gang which killed his wife and child in this, the Pursuit Special. It's not particularly sophisticated by sci-fi car standards and is based on a 1970s Ford Falcon. But it makes it onto this list because it just looks so... scary. |
|
|
|
|
DeLorean DMC-12 - Back to the FutureThe DeLorean was a terrible car made out of bits of old Ford Cortina; however, it is also one of the most iconic film cars of all time thanks to a starring role in the 1985 classic Back to the Future. In the film, Michael J. Fox tries to get back to 1985 after accidentally travelling back in time to the 1950s. To do so, he needs to get to 88mph -- a task which would be considered impossible by anyone who's ever driven a DeLorean. |
|
Ectomobile - GhostbustersOkay, so Ghostbusters isn't technically sci-fi but the estate car used in the film is so cool, we couldn't rightly leave it off this list. In fact, the Ectomobile is so beloved that this chap has spent £50k on building his very own. |
|
|
|
|
Bumblebee - TransformersBumblebee is an autobot (which, for those who haven't seen the stream of cinematic tripe that is the Transformers film series, is a humanoid robot which can transform into a machine). In Bumblebee's case, he can transform into a fifth-gen Chevy Camaro. Which must be handy. |
|
Audi RSQ - I, RobotThe Audi RSQ from I, Robot is another remarkable bit of product placement from a real-world car manufacturer and, despite its futuristic spherical wheels and sci-fi doors, it's still unmistakably an Audi. We wonder whether, in 2035, Audi drivers will still drive 2mm behind the car in front. |
|
|
|
|
FAB 1 - ThunderbirdsThe FAB 1 used in the catastrophically awful 2004 film remake of Thunderbirds is actually a Ford Thunderbird underneath. Not only did the car have six wheels, it could also fly thanks to its gas turbine engine and had bullet-proof tyres so Parker could still drive Lady Penelope to safety when the proverbial hit the fan. |
So, have we missed any? Comment below to nominate your favourite sci-fi car of all time.
Also of interest...
