To do this we collected performance data on both top speed and 0-60 acceleration for 300 cars from 100 of the most auto-action heavy movies based on IMDb keyword research. The vehicles from each film were chosen based on their screen time and importance via the Internet Car Movie Database’s ranking system.
So, without further ado, let’s reveal which movies have the real need for speed and who will take the prime spot on the podium.
Our research has found that the movie in pole position for fastest on-screen motor is the 2014 video game adaptation Need for Speed. In fact, they’ve snagged the first two spots with the 2011 Koenigsegg Agera R and 2010 Bugatti Veyron EB Super Sport proving that they have all the speed they need.
|
# |
Movie |
Car |
Top Speed (mph) |
|
1 |
Need For Speed |
2011 Koenigsegg Agera R |
273 |
|
2 |
Need For Speed |
2010 Bugatti Veyron EB Super Sport |
258 |
|
3 |
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) |
2013 Bugatti Veyron EB Grand Sport Vitesse 16.4 |
254 |
|
4 |
Le Mans |
1970 Porsche 917 K |
225 |
|
5 |
No Time to Die |
2020 Aston Martin Valhalla |
220 |
As well as 1971 Steve McQueen classic Le Mans making the cut with the iconic Porsche 917 proving that it’s not just today’s cars that can hit the highest miles per hour, 007’s brand new Aston Martin Valhalla also just squeaks into fifth place showing that Daniel Craig’s final outing as the superspy isn’t slamming on the brakes.
It may have been delayed numerous times before hitting the big screen but that hasn’t stopped James Bond’s 25th (official) film outing from featuring the one of the fastest accelerating cars in movie history.
Tied for first place in our study of 300 movie motors is Need for Speed’s 2010 Bugatti Veyron EB Super Sport – an impressive inclusion that almost makes up for the 23% Rotten Tomatoes score the movie is currently sitting on... almost.
|
Movie |
Car |
0-60mph (seconds) |
|
No Time to Die |
2020 Aston Martin Valhalla |
2.5 |
|
Need For Speed |
2010 Bugatti Veyron EB Super Sport |
2.5 |
|
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) |
2013 Bugatti Veyron EB Grand Sport Vitesse 16.4 |
2.6 |
|
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) |
2016 Lamborghini Centenario LP 770-4 |
2.7 |
|
6 Underground |
2018 Ferrari 488 Pista |
2.7 |
Capping off the top spots, aside from a double helping of Transformers, there’s also 6 Underground. This Ryan Reynolds-led thrill-fest boasts the accolade of fifth fastest acceleration in film thanks to its 2018 Ferrari 488 Pista.
We wouldn’t expect anything less from action extraordinaire Michael Bay who sat in the director’s chair for #3-5 in our 0-60mph leaderboard.
To make sure we gave each film a fair shake, and to definitively find which has the fastest roster of racers, we averaged the acceleration of their three most important vehicles to see which would leave its cinematic rivals in the dust.
Of 100 films studied, here are the top 10 performers in our movie car drag race.
|
# |
Film |
Average 0-60mph (seconds) |
|
1 |
Le Mans |
3.2 |
|
2 |
Need For Speed |
3.4 |
|
3 |
Transformers: The Last Knight |
3.7 |
|
4 |
Transformers: Age of Extinction |
4 |
|
5 |
6 Underground |
4.1 |
|
6 |
Bad Boys for Life |
4.4 |
|
7 |
No Time to Die |
4.6 |
|
8 |
Spectre |
4.7 |
|
9 |
Die Another Day |
4.7 |
|
10 |
Bad Boys II |
4.8 |
*Average 0-60mph acceleration based on the three most crucial cars in each movie (based on screen time and importance to the action) to work out which has the fastest roster of vehicles overall.
Le Mans takes the well-deserved winning spot with a nifty average across its core car cast of 3.2 seconds – though only 0.2 away from Need for Speed in a close second.
Known as much for its flashy motors as the 00-agent that inevitably crashes them, the Bond series takes three of the top ten spots, with Craig just beating Brosnan two films to one.
Another interesting entry on the list are two films from the Bad Boys trilogy. Will Smith’s character Mike Lowrey is shown to have a love for flashy cars, but performance seems to also be crucial for those high-speed chases he can’t help getting himself and his partner into.
Finally, with 2021 seeing the release of new entries in two beloved film series that lean heavily on cool cars – namely The Fast and The Furious and James Bond movies – we thought it was a good time to see which can boast the speediest vehicles of them all.
So, without further ado – let’s unveil (or un-cowl) the fastest film franchises.
|
# |
Series |
Average Top Speed |
|
1 |
Batman (Nolan Trilogy) |
162 |
|
2 |
Bad Boys |
161 |
|
3 |
The Transporter |
153 |
|
4 |
Transformers |
152 |
|
5 |
Fast and Furious |
145 |
*Average top speed based on the three most crucial cars in each movie (based on screen time and importance to the action) to work out which has the fastest roster of vehicles overall.
Billionaire Bruce Wayne lords it over the competition as Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has the highest average top speed across its vehicle roster when compared to other franchises with a focus on flashy automotive action.
Trailing behind the caped crusader, the Fast and Furious ‘Saga’ as it’s now known just made it into the top five – seems the change-up from street racing to heists took its toll on the average mph of the series’ stable of cars.
A surprising result of this section of the study is that, across his filmography, 007 hasn’t done so well – in fact finishing 10th of the 12 franchises in our research. Perhaps Bond has focused a bit too much on style over performance through the years.
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