We love to imagine what life could be like in the future, how the rules could change and how technology could advance. Other genres simply can’t explore these ideas as well as science-fiction (sci-fi). Sci-fi is responsible for so many wonderful and scary visions of the future but in most of them, having a car is a must, as nobody ever seems to go by foot anymore.
We can still relate to these futuristic cars because they are a huge part of our daily lives now and no matter where in the future the film is set, humanity hasn’t been able to replace them.
So, purely sticking to land-based vehicles in the relatively traditional sense, (we’re not going full Millennium Falcon here) we’re going to look at some of the top sci-fi cars of all time, in no particular order.
The Interceptor From Mad Max
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It may not be as sci-fi as something like Star Wars or I,Robot but with the classic dystopian setting, combined with the post-apocalyptic technology and crazy cultures, Mad Max fits the bill.
Let’s face it, Mad Max could probably take up a whole list with the sheer amount of futuristic fuel-burning vehicles that the four films have on display. However, we’re focusing on just one at the moment, the iconic Interceptor that was driven by the man himself.
The Interceptor is driven across the desolate desert wasteland by Max, as he searches for fuel in the dirt ridden and gritty future. The V8 muscle car itself was based on a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe, which had been modified by the Main Force Patrol. It actually managed to inspire a whole genre of cars and was instrumental in bringing back the Rat Rod style.
The Audi RSQ From I, Robot
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I,Robot, the sci-fi inspired by Isaac Asimov’s short-story collection, features numerous vehicles that seem to have similar qualities to current semi-autonomous cars. It’s set in 2035 where a bunch of humanoid robots serve humanity. The cars are all able to pilot themselves and understand voice commands.
Will Smith’s character, detective Del Spooner, drives the the Audi RSQ throughout the film, well technically he only actually takes manual control back during a run in with some homicidal robots. The RSQ closely resembles the Audi R8, which debuted two years after the film released, except the R8 has tyres and unfortunately can’t float above the road or literally tell you when you’re about to get into a car accident.
The Delorean DMC-12 From Back To The Future
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We can’t possibly forget to mention the car that used 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to transport Marty McFly back to 1955. There’s no doubt that the Back to the Future trilogy gave the DeLorean DMC-12 its status as a cultural icon, and cemented its quirky stainless steel appeal.
Long after the DeLorean Motor Company, which released the real DMC-12 prototype in 1976, faded out of existence, the fictional version of the car built by the eccentric “Doc” Brown continues to live on in film and television. With it’s unmistakable gull-wing doors, fiberglass body structure and stainless steel body panels, the car has a huge cult following.
Unfortunately the sequels’ futuristic setting of Oct 2015 has been and gone, and there’s no sign of our flying cars, hoverboards or even our self-drying jackets. But no doubt the 80s retro vision of the future may still come to pass, as we all know, style trends come back around.
The Lexus 2054 From Minority Report
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The Lexus 2054 is featured in an adrenaline pumping action sequence in the film, Minority Report. The perpetually running Tom Cruise, is playing Chief of PreCrime John Anderton, and the scene sees him escaping his pursuers in an automated vehicle factory. He ends up trapped on a fully automated assembly line as the car is welded, riveted, and stamped together around him.
It’s an impressive futuristic sequence that highlights the ubiquitous nature of the film’s product placement and advertising. The concept Lexus itself is of course self-driving and sports a verbal interface. It can even select music to match the mood of whoever’s inside.
Featured image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/
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