No matter how bleak the future is, movies have taught us the cars will still be awesome. Here are the ten cars you said were the coolest futuristic movie cars of all time. Warning: spoilers to movies you should have already seen ahead.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our Jalopnik summer feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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10.) A Clockwork Orange's Probe 16
Suggested By: Ravey Mavey Slurpee
Why It's Cool: One of only three examples produced, the Probe 16 used in the filming of Clockwork existed before Stanley Kubrick came knocking. In the real world, one of the three other Probes was owned by Jack Bruce, bassist for Cream. In the movie it's called the Durango 95, and it's just plain scary.
Photo credit: A Cidade Branca
9.) The Fifth Element's New York City Cab
Suggested By: irishman72
Why It's Cool: You'll find that flying through major cities will become a theme here today. Bruce Willis' cab in The Fifth Element is pretty cool though. It's a 2178 Checker Marathon, and looks appropriately big and boat-like. Additionally, according to the experts, there's some sort of Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and Saab up there shooting around the skies of New York as well.
Photo credit: Youtube
8.) Minority Report's Lexus
Suggested By: mkbruin
Why It's Cool: It's red, it's shiny, and it's Tom Cruise's escape car after it literally gets built around him. The Lexus is cool, but for sheer awesomeness, I prefer the chase scene on the side of the building, with Cruise jumping from speeding car-pod to speeding car-pod.
7.) I, Robot Audi RSQ
Suggested By: Ex President Mack
Why It's Cool: I know, it was all just a big Audi commercial, and shouldn't be considered here. But I really kind of like the four-wheel roller-ball future R8-looking RSQ. It's too bad it gets totaled during the chase in the tunnel.
Photo credit: Youtube
6.) The Wraith's Dodge Turbo Interceptor
Suggested By: Cloud81918
Why It's Cool: I'm gonna start out by saying that I've never seen 1986's The Wraith. The car looks pretty cool though, and pre-freakout Charlie Sheen isn't that bad (though if you ask me he should have stopped acting after Ferris Bueller's Day Off). The Wraith is about a group of street-racing kids who are challenged when a new car (The Wraith) comes in to town. It eventually beats them all racing, and Charlie Sheen and his girl ride off into the sunset, happily ever after. The car went to his little brother, who probably cherished it until the end of his days.
Photo credit: Youtube
5.) Spaceballs' Winnebago
Suggested By: SerialThriller, 87CapriceEstate
Why It's Cool: It's a spacefaring Winnebago that helps Captain Lone Starr and friends beat the evil Lord Dark Helmet and save the planet Druidia. All that is well and good, but you should have been on board with it after "spacefaring Winnebago." Also, it can almost reach plaid-speed. Can your car go plaid?
Photo credit: Autos Sympatico
4.) It Started With A Kiss' Lincoln Futura
Suggested By: whitehatspecial
Why It's Cool: Much like Herbie the Love Bug or Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, the Lincoln has a starring roll in 1959's Kiss. The movie tells the story of an Air Force Sergeant and his wife on a drive through Europe in a special car they won in a raffle. Eventually, the most famous bullfighter in all of Spain sees them and their car, falls in love with the car, and chases them through Europe to try to get it. Eventually, the bullfighter catches them and buys the car. The end. The car was repainted red from its original white pearlescent paint for the film.
Photo credit: Youtube
3.) TRON: Legacy's Light Runner
Suggested By: RossLH
Why It's Cool: The Light Runner is pretty awesome. Able to go on or off grid with adaptable tires, fire lasers at enemy programs and carry Olivia Wilde, the Light Runner is the coolest thing to hit TRON since... Well, since Olivia Wilde.
Photo credit: Youtube
2.) Blade Runner's Police Spinner
Suggested By: JackTrade
Why It's Cool: There's nothing not cool about Blade Runner. The Spinner can drive on both land and in the air, though it never seems to go particularly quickly on either. Doesn't matter though, the thing looks awesome.
Photo credit: Youtube
1.) Mad Max's Pursuit Special
Suggested By: JalopJeff
Why It's Cool: Used as an incentive to keep Max on the police force, the Pursuit Special is one bad looking 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT. Since the movie's debut it has spawned tons of knockoffs and replicas, while the original sits in a famous cars museum in England. It's the duck's guts.
Photo credit: James Ward