Destroying Million Dollar Hypercars?<br/>On Set With Need For Speed
Need For Speed in real life

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a major motion picture set? Have you ever considered how much time and effort goes into shooting even the shortest three second scene? Have you ever contemplated what it takes to capture a high-speed chase sequence or an epic crash? If so, then today is your lucky day as we take a look behind the filming of the big screen interpretation of Need For Speed.

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While I’m not sure that such thing exists as a ‘normal’ day of Speedhunting, when I got a call from Rod back in April asking if I could hop on a quick flight to Northern California to shoot some production stills on the set of a big-budget movie, I knew it was going to be even less normal than usual. Living in Hollywood, I run across film sets on a weekly basis, but it’s not every day that you’re around real high-speed filming.

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As these things go, details were kept to a minimum since everything is very hush-hush, but I was rather excited when I heard that the film was to be an interpretation of a videogame I grew up on – Need for Speed. As a child born in the mid-’80s, I spent a lot of time playing videogames, as I suspect many of you did as well, but NFS holds a special place in my collection.

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While videogames may seem like a trivial hobby to some (including parents), when I now look at my life in reverse, it’s quite clear that they played a pivotal role in my story and laid the groundwork for much of the person I am today: a motorsport fan, a professional automotive photographer and a Speedhunter. Through these games I not only grew addicted to racing but I was also introduced to my life’s greatest fascination – cars.

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The first title that I can remember that allowed me to start living car culture vicariously was Need for Speed II. It was at this time that I began to see the car as more than just a tool used for racing, but something beautiful with an aura of its own. I started memorizing statistics, picking up Road & Track magazine and sketching my favorite exotics. So you must understand that even though I knew fully well I was on a Hollywood film set, there were at least a half dozen times where I thought to myself “Wow, this looks exactly like a scene out of Need for Speed!”

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I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. The cop cars, the row of exotics and even the location in Northern California looked as if it were plucked right from the game! One thing that was always so clearly different about NFS (the games) was that it was about racing and cars in equal parts, and it put a huge emphasis on the machines you were competing with.  I was very happy to see the crossover on set in the fact that the real stars of Need for Speed aren’t the actors, but the exotic cars they drive. Take for example the ‘cast’ for the two days I was on set…

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Koenigsegg Agera R. 1140hp. 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

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GTA Spano. 780hp. 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds.

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Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. 580hp. 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds.

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Saleen S7 twin-turbo. 750hp. 0-100km/h in 2.9 seconds.

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Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. 1180hp. 0-100km/h in 2.5 seconds.

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McLaren P1. 910hp. 0-100km/h in 2.6 seconds.

As you can see ‘talent’ like this should make for one fairly incredible race. But sometimes looks can be deceiving…

Movie magic
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Though so far it should be pretty difficult to tell, I suspect that the extremely keen lot of readers may have picked up that something isn’t quite right with the hypercars. In fact, they aren’t hypercars at all, but extremely elaborate replicas. I know the thought of ‘fake cars’ may leave some of you sitting at home perplexed, but let me assure you that there are a number of reasons why these special picture cars are used – for starters, budget.

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But it goes beyond that. Nearly every single car in the film inevitably ends up crashing in a catastrophic fashion and for this movie the stunts (which I’ll touch on later) are done for real. So bearing the sobering realities of filmmaking, you can come to appreciate these custom-built tube chassis in a new light.

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Every car is based off the same MR platform and uses a reliable Chevy LS3 V8 crate workhorse engine. Although they might not be quite as powerful as the hyper engines they’re playing on the screen, they’re definitely more than enough to propel these lightweight frames and provide some heart-pumping footage.

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Certain scenes require additional modifications for special stunts to be performed safely and predictably which couldn’t be practically fitted on a normal car. Here we see a Saleen S7 that has been modified with a rail system to allow it to shoot under another vehicle and launch it into the air.

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Although the cars do actually drive, they’re fabricated quickly and are constantly being tweaked and worked on to get them running right. Here we see Tanner Foust doing his own adjustment of the throttle pedal via pry bar. Not everything is as glamorous it looks on the silver screen.

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A lot of quick roadside repairs and modifications are made between scenes. Since the stunt team never knows where they might have to work they had these ingenious air-bags to lift the cars instead of traditional jacks. They lift the car in seconds and work on any surface… I want some.

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In the event that a job is too large to tackle on the side of the road, the team rented a warehouse nearby and set up a makeshift shop. Here they can perform basically anything from routine maintenance to full-on reconstruction.

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After a major stunt scene, the cars are brought back and stripped of any components that are still usable. If it’s feasible, the chassis can be cut apart and rebuilt, or a new one can be made from scratch as needed.

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A tube bender is an obvious must-have for this type of operation…

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As is a welder and lots of rod.

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Since the chassis are all basically identical except for bodywork, spares can be kept to a minimum. Common replacement items include fluids, brake components, springs, shocks, axles and uprights.

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However some of the cars, like the hero Mustang of the film, are in fact actual cars…

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But that doesn’t mean they don’t get spruced up a little as well. While I was lurking around the warehouse, the art department was busy preparing two more Mustangs outside with some wear and tear from a yet-to-be-filmed scene that occurs earlier in the movie. Continuity is everything.

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With the bullet holes and body damage out of the way, the last step was to replicate some red dirt. Though the opening scenes had yet to be shot, the cars would need to look like they’d already driven across the country for the small cameo at the end of the film they were shooting while I was there.

Reel action and real speed
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Back on set I found a horse of a different color, if you’ll excuse my pun. No this isn’t a sinister disguise for a Mustang, but rather a precision camera car. When you’re filming a high-speed chase scene, keeping up is half the battle!

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During my time on set, I saw a number of interesting camera set-ups. Some, like the rig mounted to the hood of this police car, were a little more down-to-earth and built from a regular collection of grip gear. Even a hobbyist filmmaker could replicate a support like this for a few hundred dollars.

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At the other end of the spectrum are vehicles known in the industry as pursuit cars, which have been permanently modified to operate cameras under special circumstances. Pursuits have cables hard-wired for cameras and monitors and almost always utilize a gyro stabilizer head to get unbelievably smooth footage in the most challenging of environments.

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The most elaborate of all utilizes what is called a Russian arm or Pursuit arm (depending on brand) which allows almost unlimited camera movement on multiple axis. This is the type of set-up used in almost all car commercials these days and allows the camera to be swept vertically and horizontally while being panned and tilted simultaneously. It’s so complicated that it takes a team of four or more people to operate.

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But perhaps the most fascinating camera car of all is what is called a pod car, and is actually both a picture car and a camera car in one. This strange invention is how you shoot real in-car driving scenes instead of using those cheesy cropped-in backgrounds you see in movies and TV about 80% of the time. It might work in a romantic comedy but that crap wouldn’t cut it for NFS.

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Unlike the regular picture cars, the interior is a lot more elaborate on a pod car; since the actors will be filmed up close, it becomes increasingly more important to nail the details. Additional cameras and sound gear can also be mounted inside to record the action.

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On the back is the pod where a professional driver will actually pilot the vehicle. This way the actor can focus on his lines while the cars are driven at speed in an actual pack. Since not every actor is Steve McQueen, this solution provides the next best thing, especially when you have the right drivers behind the wheel.

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And just who might these drivers be, you might ask. Well a lot of them you may just recognize, like Rhys Millen. That’s right, for you drift fans that have wondered why he wasn’t competing in Formula D this year, it’s because Rhys is doing a lot of precision driving these days.

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But he’s not the only one who’s switched from drift to glitz. In fact the set was like a reunion for former FD drivers, including Tony Brakohiapa.

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And also golden-child-turned-television-host Tanner Foust. Indeed, the people involved in the film are critical to creating a realism to the action.

NFS does all its own stunts
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But we mustn’t forget the equally important role of the stunt driver. Although the precision guys account for the majority of the high-speed footage, every time a car is crashed, it’s up to one of the trained stunt men to flip, spin and explode the vehicles on film.

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In this business you get used to doing a lot of takes. Dialogue can be acted again and again until the director is happy, but with real live stunts you only get one shot. In order to make sure that one shot goes according to plan, a lot of people have to work very hard.

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Planning can take months and nothing is left to chance. Everything is calculated. Everything is rehearsed.

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But no matter how many times you run something through your brain, or double check the numbers, there’s something downright terrifying about driving a car at sixty miles an hour up a ramp and into an exploding van! It’s incredible.

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Yet I think the most amazing part is seeing all that hard work pay off in an instant. It’s months of preparation with hundreds of people gathered round and for what… maybe five seconds of footage!? You’ve got to love it.

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It’s pretty crazy to think how much effort goes into such a short piece of the film. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the budget is spent on crash scenes that account for less than 1% of the final movie. But my god, what an exciting >1%.

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During my time on set, I pretty much hung out with the stunt coordinators the whole time, and as it turns out, most of them were car guys. They told me that they had practiced all of the stunts for weeks ahead of time to calculate the exact speeds and forces required to pull off the action the director wanted. It’s pretty mind boggling to be honest.

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Fast forward to the set and now the stunts are being performed for real. Here we see Rhys and Tanner being instructed on what should hopefully happen during the scene. This time around, Rhys and Tanner will be following closely behind a Veryon that’s going to get T-boned by a police car. You can see from the look on Rhys’s face that timing is critical.

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But so is speed and proximity. The cop car will be launched via compressed air and triggered by one of the stunt coordinators, but only if the Bugatti is doing exactly 60mph. During rehearsal, the throttle cable was constantly being adjusted until the car could repeatedly make passes at that speed. But when it came time to shoot the scene, the desired speed wasn’t reached so the shot had to be pushed to the following day.

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After more rehearsals and more adjustments, everything eventually went according to plan. In order to make the most of this one-time-only scene, a ton of cameras were set up to capture different angles. Unfortunately, because of this I was unable to get very close to the action but I assure you it’s going to be gnarly in the film!

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What unfolded in those few seconds once again went exactly as planned. The cop car T-boned the Bugatti right on time, sending it spinning down the road and off into a ditch right on its mark! It’s truly remarkable the precision with which these stunts are performed.

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It’s a lot of pressure, time and energy compressed and released in an instant, and when it goes right there’s a uniform sigh of relief followed by smiling faces all around. Here you can see a very stoked Rhys Millen, perhaps even more stoked than he is atop a podium. Although it was just a brief glimpse into what was a very long production, I have a new respect for filming action sequences and hopefully I’ve shared a bit of that enthusiasm with all of you. It was really interesting seeing how a shared passion for cars had led many of us to the set that day, myself included and I can’t wait to see the end product in theaters later this year.

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1

IT'S ALL A LIE!!!!

*cries in corner

2

Great Idea to make a post about this! Very interesting!  :)

3

Hey Sean, did this happen to be filmed in California State Route 128? I just did a "dream drive" there and it is an EPIC road. I hope it is the same one, because I loved photographing there. Check it out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75773714@N08/sets/72157639218923853/

4
Speedhunters_Bryn

koko sanWe all know there are smoke and mirrors in the industry so it's good to see how much and where they're angled!

I want more behind the scenes stories from all walks of automotive life this year, lots of people aspire to be a Speedhunter but ultimately there are so many more jobs out there to get in to that are amazing too.

5

I hopefully won't get distracted too much by spotting "wrong" brake discs and calipers during the film ;) 
Very interesting coverage though and finally i'm looking forward to this movie...

6

great seeing the lengths they go through to make parts of these movies!

7

This is ridiculously cool.

8
FredrikDavidsen

Everytime I see a Merc ML rigged in any way I think of Jurrasic Park... looks so badass in black!

9

Nice to see they are trying to do as much practical stuff as possible.

10

Except most of these aren't even that car.

11

Swonz Did you just read the title?

12

La Ferrari beatsallthosecars. xD

13

One of the most interesting articles on Speedhunters in recent memory.

14

I stopped reading at some point because I don't want to know what happens. I wont enjoy the scene as much if I know what's coming. But nevertheless, what I did read (mostly about the different types of car) was very interesting. Can't wait to see the movie

15

wow. That urethane bumper stood well to gunfire on the mustang.

16

Speedhunters_Brynkoko sanI like the fact that SH is quite unpredictable there are always stories apart from the typical feature or event that are very fresh. But also in the more mainstream events or articles you manage to point out what I would call the "human factor" or the passion surrounding it, the WRC coverage or the visit to the Pagani factory are good examples. There is a sort of imperfection and humbleness throughout the site we all can relate to.  :)

17

So, 1/1 scale model kit anyone?

18

Really cool article guys! I've always wondered about how a lot of this movie magic is made so thanks for sharing a glimpse of it with us. 

Can you tell us more about the MR platform you referenced that all the cars used? Also, I'm guessing they get OEM support to have the right steering wheels, logos, maybe even body-work? Would love more in-detail story on the guys building these picture cars and their workshops.

19

For Mr http://www.speedhunters.com/author/sklingelhoefer/. I played my 1st video game at the age of 4, and it was Need for Speed II SE. I ended up falling completely in love with the McLaren F1. But not only of course. I'll never forget the videos they put in that game at a time when there were no YouTube. My dream is now to own a McLaren F1, or at least drive one,  and I am constantly making sure that that day will come someday. So because of Need for Speed II I wouldn't be studying mecanical engineering at uni, nor would I work in a garage, or race in the mountain. I'm delighted that that game gave you the same inspiration that it did to me. :)

20

Gotta love Mendocino County Redwood forests and the scenic roads

21

Can't wait to see the <1%. They can keep the rest TBH

22

what a waste for such as dumb movie

23

Thank God they were just blowing up replicas.

24

Swonz you would prefer CG?

25

LouisYio less of a lie than CG, cheer up.

26

Isn't that the same forest they shot the speederbike scene of "Return of the Jedi" in?

27

MattAtDoyle Not entirely certain 100% but it looks like California State route 128. Beautiful road through the forest where tons of driving scenes are filmed. many ads and probably that scene as well.

28

robzor No but some of these are horrible inaccurate like the Agera R.

29

This is NOT a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, look at the air intake above the motor, the is a disguised "classic" Veyron!

30
DademiravanAkooy

Wow what a peace and now i cant really wait to see it.... maybe in IMAX... Nice reading and beautifull pictures!!!

31
GagandeepSinghBains

replicas........ boo

32
The_Swonz_Ayeeeeee

Swonz What do you think a replica is? here I'll assist you with the definition "A copy or reproduction, especially one on a scale smaller than the original." Yay today you learned something!

33

nice..., at least I know you guys didn't crash the real one just for a movie

34

@At0m and you did NOT read the article !

35

NeedforSpeed. Nice 1 I need it

36

execelnt photography .........!

37

reno808 What specifically is a waste?

38

reno808 What specifically is a waste?

39

Swonz well, i dont own one and have never seen one in real life so i'm sure it will fool me just fine enough for me to be entertained. i guess i'm just not as up on supercars as you?

40

GagandeepSinghBains i hate to tell you this but santa clause isn't real...

41

GagandeepSinghBains i hate to tell you this but santa clause isn't real...

42

NeedforSpeed DW_Studios SPEEDHUNTERS Itvwill really be extreme speed after that it will be desperation for speed.

43

I am So proud of how far Need For Speed Has come. And even more hyped on how many people care about this project. To most it's just another badass race movie, To few other's the meaning of life, family, hard work and dedication. More then that hope for the younger generation who where picked on and made fun of for their idea's, This is for you!!!!! :)

44

This movie is a sell out copy cat.
Fast and Furious has been as much a part o Need for speed, as need for speed has been apart of Fast and Furious
Fact is not many people are interested i "Just racing" movies. 

So I will not bother with this, I am Loyal to Fast and Furious

R.I.P Paul walker.

45

Where has this guy been while Fast and Furious was around all these years. 1,2 and Tokyo Drift. All on need for speed logic. All of Fast and Furious Cars with the exception of the latest movie 6.... are in the games.

46

Can't wait to see the actual movie !!! Need for speed should be far more realistic than fast and furious !!!

47
LesterTheJester

CharlesKing

48

nickevans_93 dem camera cranes.

49

Strawbs_ I know. I want one! Speedhunters is full of some gems at the moment.

50

I'm still very iffy about this film.  It's too unrealistic for me.  At least I could believe The Fast and the Furious (in the beginning, and even towards the end if someone could successfully pull off a robbery of that magnitude).   But a mechanic who winds up in jail is suddenly back out driving a Koenigsegg and his homeboys and enemies all have hypercars too? Too much of a reach for me.
However this was a good read, I enjoy some insight into film making, especially when there are cars involved.

51

One thing I've always felt with need for speed is that there is no way people who own cars such as the Veyron would race them in dangerous street races. I've always preferred the car lists in the earlier games, because they were more realistic. That being said, it is a video game, so who cares about realism. As for the film, I'm sure there's an explanation for how he gets his hands on such cars. The hero car is actually the Mustang, so that's a bit more believable.
However, and I mean no offence by this, but if you thought Fast 6 was realistic then I think you need to watch it again. It was SO bad because it was horrendously unrealistic. I was a die hard fan of the first film, the others up until 4 weren't that great but they were fun, 5 started getting stupid and when I went to see 6 I came out of the cinema angry that I had paid to sit through it. It was terrible. I doubt I will go and see 7.
Need for Speed looks like a traditional car film, not an action movie with ridiculous car stunts that defy the laws of physics, which is why I'm excited to go and see it.

52

adnanebrahim SPEEDHUNTERS loving the fullscreen slideshow format option on that

53

bigeastbay I wasn't there for the shoot, but I know that road well, and these pictures are indeed from it. The turnouts are close to the Navarro River outlet. I was in Mendocino at the time and people were talking about the filming there.

54

n8rose1 bigeastbay thanks man. Glorious piece of road, I wish I lived ~40 or so miles closer as state route 128 coupled with hwy 1 and mountain ridge road is very close to being driving nirvana. technical turns, fast straights and not a cop in sight....

55

MattAtDoyleNope, but a respectful guess. Return of the Jedi was shot in Marin County. Judging by the sign with distances to San Francisco and Navarro this is in Mendocino County.

56

CodyBlank MattAtDoyle Thanks! Beautiful area, regardless.

57

Jordan_Burgess Have I landed in the Twilight zone?
NFS/F&F(n) are both terrible, embarrassingly junk films .... BUT they are also a god excuse to sit around ad watch Cars.
Trying to find cinematic value is crazy, it's just stunts and cars which are a surprisingly god substitute.
If you must have both I give  you Ronin: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122690/?ref_=nm_knf_i2

58

I'm disappointed that even for the "safer" shots they used replicas. Surely borrowing them is hard, and ofcourse they gonna crash fakes, but for a car movie with atleast SOME self-respect...C'mon guys. I'd have preferred the real deal with 458's and MP4-12c's instead of this. Meh, this draws the 12 year olds to the cinema I guess. I don't mind CGI, but I'm really upset that ALL of the cars are fake in the movie (except for the 'stang). I mean, on a concert you aren't going to replace the real musician with a playbacking lookalike. (Which makes me wonder how they fixed the engine sounds in the movie-

59

and to think I will be laughing when fast 7 kicks need for speeds terrible storylines (censored), not to mention everything else about need for speed (censored). I was born in 2000 and when I was a baby my family sat me down and made me watch fast 1. I might have been a baby but I loved cars right away just like my family, now ive seen and own every fast movie.Im a true hard fast fan and will always be, sorry need for speed, stick with your video games.

R.I.P Paul walker.

60

Thanks for this article. I'm not a car person (though with a trusted driver I enjoy a good ride) so I appreciate this more from the movie magic point of view. Seeing how these scene are really made and how much work is behind just a few seconds of a movie.

61

Saw the movie, and enjoyed it. Possibly because I enjoyed the games. But for a NFS fan, it is a must see!

62

Wildcardfox  And that the seats were not hit by the gunfire to the window.

63

Watching this movie now and I love it. I am a car guy, but I'm not too knowledgable on engines. Nevertheless, I'm still very young, I have time to learn it all, and this is definitely a movie for a guy of my mindset.

64

This is such an awesome article! So cool to see how scenes like this are made, since they're always my favorite in action movies. http://selltotaledcar.com/http://selltotaledcar.com/

65

I wish I had these cars don't you ( I mean all of the cars above ) exept for the b car

66

Watched this movie the other day. Have to say it, was the worst movie I have seen in a very long time. Crap story, crap acting and crappy fake cars. Was like a low budget, rip off d grade fast and the furious wannabe. Made 2 fast 2 furious look like oscar award winning grade cinema. I want my 2 hours back.

67

Hiii l live your story no doubt but I wanna know your secret that who bult those super replicas and in how much money and time it took to bult a super car . Because I wanna to a super car replica too if it's possible... is it..??

68
MarcJorgensen

You could definitely tell they were not real in some scenes. Door jambs unfinished fiber glass, no inner fenders, wings flopping around, sagging leather steering wheels, open holes where headlights were. Close though.

69

sahuja9000 Me too, and I suppose the interiors are detailed? Man, what fun driving one of those, even if it is just a replica, 'cause the Lamborghini Veneno might still go up to 170mph because of it's lightweight body and being fitted with a V8 I think it just might be possible....

70

I agree with sahuja9000, and I suppose the interior would be detailed? Man, what fun it would be driving one of those, even if it's just a replica, 'cause the Lamborghini Veneno may go up to 170mph, because of it's lightweight body fitted with a V8.

71

Thank you for wrighting this. Thank you.

72

Where in the US can you find a non-degree program to learn how to build replica cars like these?

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