Top 10 movie vehicles!

Now for another stupid and useless top 10 list. If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that I am a car guy. It's time to pick out the 10 coolest vehicles in movie history, and what makes them great.

Honorable mentions:

Deathmobile, Animal House

Weasley Family Ford Anglia, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

USS Enterprise(s), various Star Trek movies

10. Wagon Queen Family Truckster, National Lampoon's Vacation

Make/Model: 1983 Wagon Queen Family Truckster

Features:

• Fuel tank filler conveniently located on hood
• Eight headlights
• Driver-side airbag
• Roof rack that can accomodate luggage and deceased relatives
• Custom paint job - "Honky Lips" spray painted on rear quarter panel.

Fun facts: This was a Ford LTD wagon deliberately altered to look as obnoxious as possible. The only surviving Truckster sits in an Illinois museum. This movie proves that if you are taking the tribe cross-country, this is the perfect car.

9. Ecto-1, Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters II

Make/model: 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance conversion

Features:

Siren

Pullout rack that can hold four proton packs

Plenty of room for complex ghost capturing equipment.

The filmmakers originally wanted to go with something more high-tech, but you have to admit this car had character.

8. "Eleanor", Gone in 60 Seconds

Make/Model: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500

Features:

351 cubic-inch Ford Racing Engine, 535 horsepower

Side exhaust pipes (not functional in movie)

Nitrous oxide system (Although a car like this doesn't need NOS, because, as the saying goes, there's no substitute for cubic inches.- This was a big mistake in the movie as far as I am concerned.)

The filmmakers originally wanted Eleanor to be a GT40, but a fleet of these cars would have been prohibitively expensive, so they "settled" for the Shelby. Designer Chip Foose provided the look for Eleanor, and did a great job keeping the original lines of the Mustang intact. Only one actual GT500 was used. The rest of the cars were modified '67 Mustangs.

7. Bluesmobile, The Blues Brothers

Make/Model: 1974 Dodge Monaco Sedan

Features:

Cop motor

Cop tires

Cop suspension

Cop shocks
Runs on regular fuel

Although Joliet Jake didn't like the fact that his brother picked him up from prison in a police car, the Bluesmobile grew on him after jumping an open drawbridge, surviving a chase inside a shopping mall, a 106-mile trip to Chicago, and eluding police through the city's streets before completely falling apart. It may have helped that the car was on a mission from God. If only the cigarette lighter worked... 13 different cars were used for the Bluesmobile, and an on-set body shop was kept open around the clock to repair cars during the movie's production.

6. Christine, Christine

Make/Model: 1958 Plymouth Fury

Features:

Radio that plays nothing but 1950s music

Possession by an evil, homicidal spirit

Ability to repair its own damage

A fleet of cars was used for this film as well, including the Plymouth Belvedere and Plymouth Savoy. Several Belvederes were destroyed during the film. Fun fact- in the Stephen King novel the movie was based on, the car had four doors. For the movie, this was changed to two doors because there never was a four-door 1958 Plymouth Fury.

5. Tumbler, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises?

Make/Model: Wayne Industries Tumbler

Features:

Rear mounted jet engine

Front mounted machine guns

Backend flaps for quick stops

Ejectable 2-wheel "Batpod"

Because the filmmakers deliberately wanted to avoid using CGI for the new Batmobile, the car was built using carbon fiber panels and race car technology to keep the weight down. The 5000-lb. vehicle was able to easily go over 100 mph, and go from 0-60 in 5 seconds. Four of these vehicles were constructed at the bargain price of $250,000 each.

4. Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger (and several other James Bond movies)

Make/model: 1964 Aston Martin DB5

Features:

Smoke screen

Oil slick

Revolving license plate

Passenger ejector seat

Rear bulletproof shield

Tire-slashing "spinner" hubcaps

Front-mounted machine guns

You gotta love the Q Branch for equipping James Bond with their "specially optioned" cars. The "Wet Nellie" Lotus Esprit in "The Spy Who Loved Me" was pretty cool. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante in "The Living Daylights" was also packed with cool features, and is a close second. The BMWs shouldn't even be mentioned here, nor should the invisible car in "Die Another Day." However, this beautiful DB5 is the original iconic Bond car, and is also the best looking. Fun fact: During the production of "Goldfinger," the producers first approached Jaguar about using an E-Type, but Jaguar declined. The producers then went to Aston Martin, and the rest, as they say, is history.

3. Millenium Falcon, Star Wars Episodes III-VII (Yes, there was a very brief appearance of the ship in Revenge of the Sith).

Make/Model: Corellian Engineering Company Light YT-1300f light freighter (Honestly, where does George Lucas come up with this stuff?)

Features:

2 Gyrodyne SRB42 sublight engines

Series 401 Hyperdrive motivator that can go .5 past light speed (when it works)

Torplex Fore deflector shield generator

AG-2G quad laser cannons

Hidden floor for smuggling spice or people

Landing claw

Hologram game board

Notice this list is called to 10 movie vehicles, not cars, thus the appearance of the venerable Millenium Falcon on this list. I like the way Lucas wanted the ship to have a lot of mileage and wear on it when we first see it, because it adds character. Yet the ship is really sleek and looks built for speed. After all, it did the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs (Even though a parsec is a unit of distance, not time, but who's counting anyway?) Even though the original "Star Wars" is almost 40 years old, the Falcon going into hyperspace is still a great effect. Fun Fact: The Falcon even decided to lend Starfleet a hand during the battle against the Borg in "Star Trek: First Contact."

2. Bullitt Mustang, Bullitt

Make/Model: 1968 Ford Mustang 390 Fastback

Features:

Smoking rear tires

Ability to catch air on San Francisco streets

Seen on camera going 115 mph or faster

Sorry there are two 1960s Ford Mustangs on this list, but my list wouldn't be complete without this car. As I mentioned on a previous list, the car chase in 1968's Bullitt is the greatest action scene ever. Despite its age, you can't top the precision driving, filming and editing of this scene. Now for the cars. Two iconic American muscle cars duke it out here, as the Mustang chases down the bad guys in a 1968 Charger R/T 440. The dark green fastback is truly a thing of beauty. It is the best looking Mustang ever, and it's no surprise that the current Mustang is inspired by the cars from the late '60s. (Even the current Charger is reminiscient of the '60s body style).

Fun facts:

The suspensions of both cars were beefed up for filming, and both cars were fitted with a roll cage. (My father told me a lot about this movie).

The camera car was built on a Corvette chassis that could keep up with the action.

Steve McQueen wanted to drive the 'Stang himself, but pro driver Bud Ekins took over after McQueen, an experienced driver, almost ran the car off the road after locking up the wheels.

The Charger was a little bit more powerful than the Mustang, so the crew had to modify the transmission and bore out the engine to give the Mustang a little more oomph.

1. DeLorean DMC-12 time machine

Make/Model: 1981 DeLorean DMC-12

Features:

Flux Capacitor (it's what makes time travel possible)

Electronic time circuits

Mr. Fusion home energy reactor (garbage powered)

Hover conversion

Doc Brown said it best: "If you're going to build a time machine, why not do it with some style?" The DeLorean had its share of problems, but it still looks exotic and unique even today, especially with the gullwing doors. The crew chose the DeLorean so it would be mistaken for a spaceship in 1955 because of the doors. This movie turned the DeLorean into a collector's item, and saved dozens of these cars from the scrap heap. This legendary car was one of many elements that worked here to create what is essentially a perfect movie in terms of writing, pacing, character development and visuals.

Fun facts:

The DeLorean company was founded by auto executive John Z. DeLorean, who developed the Pontiac GTO and Firebird among several other notable cars. The DMC-12 was built in a factory in Northern Ireland. The factory cost a fortune, and was paid for by the British government, as well as celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Carson. The first prototype was built in 1976, but, because of delays, engineering problems and budget overruns, the DMC-12 did not go into production until 1981. The company continued to hemmorhage money, and Mr. DeLorean was accused of investing money in the illegal cocaine trade to keep the factory open. He was arrested, but found not guilty because of entrapment. The factory closed in 1982.

As beautiful as the car was, it was fraught with problems on the set. In cold weather, the hydraulics that kept the doors open didn't work properly, causing the doors to sag, so members of the cast hit their heads on the door.

The car was powered by a craptacular 130-hp Peugeot/Renault/Volvo V6, so the car had trouble even reaching 88 mph. This was remedied in the sequels when they built the DeLorean's body on the chassis and engine of a Porsche 911.

The time machine was originally supposed to be a refrigerator, but the filmmakers were afraid that kids would shut themselves inside refrigerators in an attempt to time travel.

After the huge success of BTTF, John DeLorean wrote writer Bob Gale a thank you letter for immortalizing his car.

I drove Fords!

Once again, it's time for my annual pilgrimage to the auto show.

Last year, I have started going to the Pennsylvania Auto Show in Harrisburg instead of the Philadelphia Auto Show. Philly has more of the concept cars and preproduction models, which are really cool to see sometimes, but Harrisburg is closer, it's only $6 to get in (with a coupon), although parking is $10. Also, there seem to be about 6 million people at the Philly show, many of whom are rude big-city types. The show in Harrisburg still has all of the major 2012 new cars to look at and sit in, it's not nearly as crowded, and it gives you more of an opportunity to really drive some new cars.

You are probably thinking "What do you mean, drive?" One of the newer trends at auto shows are ride and drive events, in which you take cars for a short spin accompanied by a product specialist. Like the rest of the auto show, this is a non-selling atmosphere, so there is no pressure to buy a car, but the reps are there to answer many questions you might have. Most auto shows, including Philly, are in crowded downtown areas, so the ride and drive events through city streets, and you are lucky to break 10 mph. In Harrisburg, you navigate the large parking lots around the massive Pennsylvania Farm Show complex, which hosts the largest agricultural exhibition in the country in January.

Last year, I had the pleasure of driving some fine GM products, and a Subaru. This year, Ford is hosting a ride and drive.

I am a third generation GM man, and, with the exception of a Honda I drove in college, I have driven nothing but GM products. I have driven a Pontiac, an Oldsmobile, a Saab, and I currently own a Saturn. See a pattern here? Maybe my next car will be a Cadillac so I can put that division under.

Anyway, I have nothing against Ford. I think their pickup trucks have always been unbeatable. Their cars seem to be attractive and appealing (except for the Flex and Fiesta sedan), and I think Alan Mullaly's "world car" strategy is good for us, but I always thought that little was done to differentiate Lincolns from Fords, rendering the Lincoln division virtually useless, especially because they are equipping Fords with more and more luxury gadgetry. Having seen the 2013 MKZ, this should be changing.

Also, a good friend of mine works as a thermal systems engineer in Dearborn. He is not only brilliant, but also a family man and an all-around nice guy, so I can assume that with people like him working there, they are building some well-engineered cars.

So here are my impressions of the Ford products I test drove. The test drive route went through the parking lots, and then back into the Pa. Dept. of Agriculture property, where you could get somewhat of a feel for the cars, and a chance to open them up.

Ford F-150 Ecoboost: This is the vehicle (or one of the vehicles) that my friend was working on as an engineer. He has my compliments, because this was an impressive vehicle. Like most of the Ford pickups I have driven, it is easy and predictable to drive, very comfortable to sit in, feels smaller than its massive size. This vehicle is considered by many to be a game changer, because it has a twin-turbocharged V6, which puts out 365 horsepower, and a whopping 420 lb-ft of torque, which matches or surpasses most V-8 pickup truck engines. Although not a hot rod, this was certainly fast enough and then some for most pickup truck drivers. The power came on smoothly and relentlessly, and had a surprising amount of low-end torque for a blown V-6. The exhaust note was the only obvious sign that this isn't a V8. The Eco in Ecoboost is not too obvious. The 16 mpg city-23 mpg highway fuel mileage is only marginally better than its V-8 colleagues, but then again, this ia a 5700 lb. vehicle. Ecoboost trucks start at about $25k for a regular cab, but pile on the options, and the price goes way up. The nicely equipped, but not loaded Super Crew I drove was about $43k. Overall, an impressive vehicle, and I think other manufacturers will follow suit with smaller engines in pickup trucks. Supposedly almost half of all F-150s are Ecoboosts, so this new approach seems to be popular.

Explorer: Not quite as impressed with this vehicle. I drove a loaded V-6 model. I have read that the Ecoboost turbo-4 is very slow. I wouldn't call this V-6 model fast, but it was certainly adequate. Handling and steering feel was a little bit pillowy and imprecise, but not to the point where I wouldn't recommend this car to others. However, the Chevy Traverse, which I drove as a rental car last year, has better handling and steering feel, as well as a better powertrain. The interior is class-leading, with soft touch surfaces, and high-tech stuff everywhere. The instrument cluster has an analog speedometer in the center, flanked by two hi-res digital customizable digital displays on either side that can show the tachometer, radio information, trip information, navigation directions, and other information. People who like tech and gadgetry like my younger brother would love this car. I wasn't able to really play with the MyFordTouch system, which Consumer Reports hates because it is too complex and distracts people from driving. I disagree, because people like technology, and like any piece of high-tech stuff, there is a learning curve on how to use it, and once people know how to use it properly, they have no problem with it. Maybe the folks at CR would like the Explorer more if they spent a couple of months with it. Then again, maybe not, because this isn't a Honda or Toyota.

Focus: I felt a lot more comfortable driving this, because I like smaller cars much better than SUVs and other large vehicles, because I can feel the road, and actually feel like I am driving. The Focus is new for this year, and we finally get the same Focus as the Europeans do. This is a very good compact car with plenty of power and good, predictable handling. A lot of cjournalists complained about the dual-clutch automatic, but it felt fine to me, and seemed no different than any other slushbox on the road. They may have worked the bugs out of the tranny for the 2012 model. Still, this would be a blast with a manual. Again, Ford goes for the high-tech crowd with full color displays on the instrument panel and the center console. Very good marketing, because this is aimed at younger drivers who love technology at an affordable price. I was impressed when I drove this car's competitor, the Chevy Cruze, last year, and I am equally as impressed with this car. I give the slight edge to the Ford because of its sharp exterior and interior styling. Kudos to the Americans for two great cars in the competitive compact car market. Next year's Dodge Dart, which looks great, should be equally as competitive. The Corolla and Civic, which have as much personality as a toaster, are now playing catch-up.

Mustang V6: Thanks to some empty roads, and a product rep who was more than willing to let me play around a little, I was able to thrash the hell out of this Mustang. Gone is the boat anchor 4.0 V6, replaced in 2011 by a 3.7 liter V6 with an impressive 305 hp. Simply put, this car is fast. I had it up to 70 in a matter of seconds. It handles really well, and has that balanced feel that only a rear-wheel drive car can offer. I can only imagine what the V-8 is like. For comparison's sake, I drove a Camaro SS last year. That was one of the fastest cars I have ever driven. Although I think it is more attractive than the Mustang, it was hard to see out of, and the car was so low to the ground I felt like I was sitting in a bathtub. Although I drove the V-6 Mustang and the V-8 Camaro, I would give the edge to the Mustang because it's more comfortable to sit in, and has a better chassis with better handling and steering feel.

Other observations from the auto show:

The preproduction 2013 Escape was on display. It's about time, because the Escape was obsolete 5 years ago. However, the current Escape is very trucklike, while the new one is very carlike. (like the Focus, we get the same car as the rest of the world, except it's called the Kuga everywhere else). I am afraid this may turn off customers who are used to the quasi-macho styling of the Escape.

The 2013 Malibu is going for a more sporty look, complete with Camaro-inspired taillights. Unfortunately, I think it's a step backwards styling-wise, because I like the elegance and simplicity of the current Malibu. Still, it looks much better than the thousands upon thousands of the Camcords on the road.

Chevy Volt: There were lots of people crowded around this car to look at it, yet no one is buying them.

Buick Verano: Nice job taking what is basically a Cruze and making look like a Buick. It basically looks like a smaller version of the Regal, and that's a good thing. This is no Cimarron, but a car that is attractive inside and out and reasonably priced.

Buick Regal GS: Stick shift? On a Buick? Yes!

Volkswagen Passat: Good price for a very conservative looking vehicle. This will sell well, since so many people buy Camrys and Accords, it's clearly apparent that Americans like their midsize cars dull as dishwater.

Subaru Impreza: This is new for this year. For some reason, Subaru actually put a less powerful engine in the car. Power decreases from 170 to 148 hp, although the car is lighter and gets better fuel economy. It looks better, but, like most Subarus, the lines are weird and the proportions are a bit off. This will be an also-ran in the compact segment, but will appeal to Subaru's usual clientele of L.L. Bean wearing New England outdoorsy types, college professors and people of a certain sexual orientation.

Honda CR-V: Finally, after several years of boredom (the new Civic) and sheer homeliness (the Crosstour, Acura ZD-X), Honda finally puts out a decent looking car. The new CR-V looks a little bit more macho (I always thought the last CR-V looked like a chick car), And the interior is very nice. I sat in a leather-appointed vehicle with an attractive two-tone brown interior. However, the powertrain is carryover, which may put this car behind in the compact SUV segment.