Five four-wheeled film icons

The latest episode in the Fast and the Furious franchise picks up where the last film left off.

Former cop Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and ex-con Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) are a bit of an odd couple with an adrenaline bond; they both have a potent need for speed. This is especially true as ever since Brian and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) broke Dom out of jail, they've been tearing across borders eluding the authorities. But in pulsating Rio de Janeiro, Dom and company find themselves in dire straits and must pull one last job to gain their freedom.

With a team of top racers at their side, the unlikely band of allies must confront the corrupt businessman who wants them dead, while also outrunning Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), the supposedly infallible federal agent. As Hobbs and his men race through Brazil, he finds it difficult to separate the good guys from the bad, but he may be the only thing standing between our racers and a terrible fate.

Liam's fave five film cars 

Back to the Future

The DeLorean DMC-12 is best known as the car/time machine from Back to the Future. Sadly this somewhat blocky, but very futuristic-looking car with its stainless steel body panels and gull-wing doors was not long for this world; the company went bankrupt in 1982. Despite DeLorean's turmoil, the car's legacy was sealed in celluloid by Marty McFly and Doc Brown, whisking the unlikely duo across time in all three films.

Goldfinger

James Bond's 1963 Aston Martin DB5 is the Bond car that started it all, cementing the franchise's reputation for combining hot cars with unbelievably cool gadgetry. Its ejector seat is surely its most memorable defence but, never one to rest on his laurels, Q had the car fully loaded with a smoke screen, radar-tracking system, machine guns and revolving licence plates; which is weird since Bond rarely bothers to assume an identity. The Aston Martin DB5 is also possibly the longest-running Bond car, having featured in the franchise for four decades.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

What better car with which to spend a sunny day skipping class in Chicago than a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB? As Ferris says, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." Well, we would if we could, Ferris, but it's not looking too likely. Luckily anyone can pick up a DVD of this classic John Hughes picture and see the car any time they like.

Herbie: Fully Loaded

Good thing the car can drive itself, because if anything the real title of this film should have been Lohan: Fully Loaded, after Lindsay Lohan, its headline-prone star. Sure it's tough to credit a VW Beetle with winning any serious race, but those old bugs do hold a lot of charm, so it's not surprising that the original Herbie series and subsequent LiLo reboot have etched the car's curving profile into cinematic history.

The Italian Job

When BMW reintroduced the Mini in 2000, it was ripe for a cinematic comeback, much like The Italian Job, (the 1969 version) starring Michael Caine. With Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron along with a fleet of the appealingly styled little cars, The Italian Job isn't just a good car movie; it's also a decent heist flick.

There are rumours of a sequel, to be called The Brazilian Job, but no official release date so far.

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