Men and cars. You can take the man out of the car, but you can’t take the car out of the man. (Or something like that.) We have a need for speed, and when we can’t meet that need because of those annoying speed limits, rush hour traffic, and slow-moving side streets, we turn to Hollywood to get our adrenaline rush. Up next for your car-racing viewing pleasure is Ford v Ferrari, starring Matt Damon as American auto designer Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as the Brit race car driver Ken Miles, a dynamic duo determined to beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Until that film is off and running at the race track (err…box office), get your motor running with these car-racing movies.
Cover Photo: Twentieth Century Fox
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Car Racing Movies
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'Fast and Furious' Franchise
With 13 films in the action-packed franchise, you could just stop your car-racing movie search here and create your own adrenaline-fueled film fest. As the most recent, and among the best car racing movies ever made, your need for speed will be fully satisfied with the Fast and Furious franchise.
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'Days of Thunder'
Tom Cruise stars as NASCAR rookie Cole Trickle in this entertaining (if formulaic) 1990 film. When Cole is injured, he finds a new friend in former competitor Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) and a hot love interest in his neurosurgeon, Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman). But can he win the Daytona 500?
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'Rush'
Based on a true story, this film follows Formula One racers and nemeses James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). Full of machismo, womanizing, and F-bombs, this is a dude’s movie, through and through.
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'Vanishing Point'
Vietnam War veteran and addict Kowalski (Barry Newman) makes a bet with his drug dealer: if he drives a car from Colorado to California in less than 15 hours, he gets his amphetamines for free. But speed, be it pharmaceutical or automotive in nature, is bound to catch the attention of the cops. Soak up the ‘70s atmosphere in this heart-racing action flick.
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'Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'
In this hilarious biopic parody, Will Ferrell plays NASCAR celebrity Ricky Bobby, who gets knocked off his pedestal by racing champion Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen). Can he claw his way back to the top? With a stellar supporting cast including John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, Amy Adams, Andy Richter, and Molly Shannon, this is one of the best car-racing movies ever made (and one of the few funny ones).
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'Senna'
This documentary focuses on Formula One three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, who tragically died at age 34 in a one-car crash. Featuring archival race footage and commentary from his family, the film gives a complete picture of a man who literally gave his life to the sport he loved.
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'Speed Racer'
For Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch), car racing runs in the family, tragically so. Despite his older brother’s death in The Crucible, a cross-country race, Speed is determined to win it in his Mach 5. A corporate conspiracy, however, threatens his chance at victory.
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'Driven'
Jimmy Bly (Kip Pardue) could be on the fast track to car racing success, but he’ll need an assist from mentor Joe Tanto (Sylvester Stallone, who also wrote the screenplay) and a little love from another racer’s ex, Sophia (Estella Warren).
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'Herbie: Fully Loaded'
Maggie Peyton (Lindsay Lohan) wants to be a professional car racer like her father (Michael Keaton) and brother (Breckin Meyer). A Volkswagen Beetle nicknamed Herbie just might make that dream a reality.
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'Cars'
As a kid, you probably loved Pixar’s animated film about Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), who gets lost in a small town on the way to race the Piston Cup. There, he meets every automobile imaginable, from a tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy) and a Porsche (Bonnie Hunt) to a VW bug (George Carlin) and a Jeep (Paul Dooley). It’s a fun, nostalgic film that reminds audiences how awesome the good ol’ days were -- as were the cars they produced.
