Image via Complex Original
Quentin Tarantino has been making cool movies over the course of decades now. In those movies, he loves to incorporate his favorite pop culture references and cars. The Chevy Nova Kurt Russell's character in Death Proof had the same license plate number as Steve McQueen's Mustang in Bullitt, for example. Tarantino also mentions Vanishing Point several times in the film. Although Louis (Robert DeNiro) and Melanie (Bridget Fonda) are taking bong hits in Jackie Brown, they're watching Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, another iconic car flick. With Django Unchained releasing on Christmas Day, the quirky director looks to add to his already legendary catalog. So, in celebration of one of our favorite directors, we present the 25 Best Quentin Tarantino Rides.
Written by Angel Diaz (@graffnameramo)
RELATED: The 30 Best Steve McQueen Rides
25. 1974 Chevrolet Nova
Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
This is the car they shot the dude from MadTV in. By mistake, of course. They had to call "The Wolf" to help them clean it up, but not after Jule's friend gave them a hard time about it with a famous racist line. It featured a 350-cubic-inch V8 with around 200 horses. This particular vehicle was worn down and would've been perfect for doing dirt, if it weren't for the brain matter splashed in the backseat.
24. 1980 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency
Movie: Jackie Brown (1997)
Sam Jackson's character used this Oldsmobile briefly to kill Chris Tucker's character, Beaumont. He then went to see De Niro's character to show him the body. Just in case he got any bright ideas, since Ordell was looking for a stand up partner in his gun-selling racket. This gas guzzler has a 307.1-cubic-inch V8 with 150 horses and is heavy as hell. These are driven by old folks everywhere.
23. 1965 Chevrolet C-Series
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Bill's brother and a small, weird little dude stuck the Bride in the back of this Chevy pickup and buried her alive. The year 1965 was a great time to own a C-Series. They had a lot of power with a 5.3-liter V8 and 220 horses under the hood.
22. 1976 Cadillac Seville
Movie: Jackie Brown (1997)
Max Cherry drove this Caddy throughout the 1997 fick Jackie Brown. It was the perfect car for a man in his occupation. He played nothing but soul music in it, while he daydreamed about Pam Grier's character. And we don't blame him. Pam Grier is still hot. Under the hood, the Seville was equipped with a 350-cubic-inch V8 with 180 horses, coupled with a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 375 transmission.
21. 1996 Honda Civic DX
Movie: Death Proof (2007)
Tarantino didn't have to do Jungle Julia like that. Kurt Russell's sadistic character demolished this red Civic hatchback, decapitating all four girls in the process. This is still a popular car, because it's cheap and it's a Honda, and everybody knows Hondas last forever.
20. 1977 Checker Taxicab
Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Bruce WIllis' character rushed into this Checker Taxi, after he disobeyed the orders of Marsellus Wallace. He also learned that he killed his opponent in the ring, which meant that he really had to go on the run (as if he didn't already). Checker Taxi's were manufactured by the Checker Motor Company, a subsidiary of Chevy, and featured a 160-170hp V8 engine. It's still the most popular cab in America.
19. 1973 Volkswagen Station Wagon Type II
Movie: Jackie Brown (1997)
Louis and Melanie drive this van and wait in the parking lot in the mall, as Jackie tries to sneak the $500,000 under the noses of the police. It goes up to 75 mph and has a 102.5-cubic-inch four-banger churning out a modest 63 horses.
18. 1991 Cadillac DeVille
Movie: Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Nice Guy Eddie, played by the late Chris Penn, drove this to the meeting point, after finding out shit hit the fan. It also appears in various flashbacks throughout the film. The '91 DeVille had a 4.9-liter V8 with 200 horses under the hood. Mobsters liked to roll in luxury.
17. 1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible (Type 14)
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
After killing a bunch of people, the Bride can finally focus on finding Bill. She heads to Mexico in search of an old pimp by the name of Esteban Vihaio that used to mentor her former lover. He then leads her into the right direction, where she finds him playing with her daughter at his house in the middle of the Mexican desert. They Type 14 Ghia is equipped with a rear-mounted, 50hpengine, similar to the Beetle.
16. 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Movie: Reservoir Dogs (1992)
This was Mr. Blonde's car. He took the liberty of sticking a cop in the trunk and taking him to the meeting point, so they could torture him for info. Luxury, style and power made this a popular car in its day, especially for gangsters. The '66 DeVille was equipped with a 340 horsepower, 429-cubic-inch V8.
15. 1972 Pontiac LeMans
Movie: Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Mr. White and Mr. Orange hijacked this beautiful apple red LeMans with white interior right before Mr. Orange got shot by the driver. The action starts with Tim Roth bleeding to death in the back with Harvey Kietel trying to console him. This model offered a 5.7-liter V8.
14. Yamaha FZ 400 Fazer
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Six members of the Crazy 88 rode these, as they flanked and guided O-Ren Ishii's S500 Benz. A '97 model tops out at 112 mph.
13. 1986 Harley-Davidson FXR Super Glide
Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Butch hopped on this Harley after almost getting raped by some sick rednecks. He then went to get wifey, so they could leave LA for good. The Super Glide has a 58hp engine that tops out at 105 mph. Too bad Zed's dead.
12. Mercedes-Benz S500
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
This Benz appeared for a brief second and was the car O-Ren-Ishii was driven in. It's a perfect car for getting chauffeured around, like a boss is supposed to.
11. 1986 Mercedes-Benz SL
Movie: Jackie Brown (1997)
Ordell used the Benz, as his everyday car. Ordell went to see Max Cherry the Bailbondsman to bail Jackie and Beaumont out of jail on separate occasions. Sam Jackson's character also staked out Jackie at her house, before he went in with the intentions to kill her. This model featured a V8 with 241 horses and a top speed of 140 mph. Jackie ended up with Ordell's Benz at the end of the movie.
10. 1980 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Elle Driver's one-eyed, crazy ass drove this awesome Firebird. She went to Budd's house to "pay" for a Hanzo sword. Except she snuck a Black Mamba into a suitcase full of money. Elle ran into the Bride and never made it out of his trailer. A 4.9-liter, 180hp engine would make Joe Dirt proud.
9. 1991 Nissan Fairlady Z
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
This was driven by Sofie Fatale, played by Julie Dreyfus, O-Ren's righthand woman. After cutting her left arm off in a restaraunt, The Bride dropped her off in front of a hospital, but not before leaving her with a message for Bill. The '91 300Z is a powerful little car with a V6 that let's out 300 horses. These are still hot on the streets, especially for the Fast and Furious types.
8. 2003 Kawasaki ZZR 250
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The Bride wore an all-yellow biker outfit like Bruce Lee in Game of Death on her way to confront O-Ren Ishii and her gang of ninjas. She kicked ass and never asked questions in one of the bloodiest fight scenes in history. This pretty muthafucka has a top speed of 105 mph.
7. 1992 Acura NSX
Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
This NSX was easily the coolest car, because it belonged to the coolest character. Mr. Wolfe came to save the day in this badass Acura dipped in a tuxedo. He was able to keep his cool and got Jules and Vincent out of Dodge before Jimmie's wife made it home. The '92 NSX featured a 3.0-liter V6 270hp engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. This was and still is a legendary street car that's sought after today.
6. 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible
Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
Vincent Vega took the boss' wife out on the town in this cherry red Chevelle Malibu. It was actually Tarantino's personal ride, after he sold the script to True Romance. Its most important scene came when a Travolta's character rushes to his dealer Lance's house, after Mia Wallace accidentally snorts heroin and has to get an adrenaline shot to the heart. Two engine sizes were available, a 283- and 327-cubic-inch, with horsepower ranging between 195-300. This was the Super Sport model.
5. 1969 Dodge Charger
Movie: Death Proof (2007)
After Stuntman Mike recovered from his run-in with the red Civic earlier in the film, he ran into another group of girls in Lebanon, Tennessee. This time he messed with the wrong ladies. This particular year offered three types of engines, ranging from a 318-cubic-inch V8 with 230 horses to a 426-cubic-inch engine with 425 horses. But a Charger wouldn't be a Charger without a Hemi. Pure American muscle.
4. 1972 Ford Mustang Grande
Movie: Death Proof (2007)
Kim, played by Tracie Thoms, drove this bad boy. The yellow paint job makes it pop and the racing stripe makes the cypher complete. In '71 Ford offered three types of V8s ranging from a 210hp, 302-cubic-inch engine to a 375hp, 429-cubic-inch model. Thank God they didn't ruin this work of art in any of the chase scenes.
3. 1970 Dodge Challenger
Movie: Death Proof (2007)
Obsessed with Vanishing Point, one of the girls wants to test drive this, so she can do a stunt on the hood. Zoe eventually talks one of the girls into driving the car while she's hanging from the hood and they conspire to trick the seller into letting them take the white Challenger alone. Stuntman Mike sneaks up on him in his Charger, and all hell breaks loose. This beautiful car boasted a 5.2-liter V8 engine with 230 horses.
2. 1971 Chevrolet Nova
Movie: Death Proof (2007)
Kurt Russell was lucky enough to drive this decked-out Chevy Nova. He played Stuntman Mike, who had a charming way with the ladies. Little did they know, Mike's a sick sonofabitch. The Nova had a flat black paint job with a skull and crossbones on the hood. He had it converted into a stunt vehicle and it only had one seat in it. This was one of the smallest muscle cars in production and it featured a 307-cubic-inch V8 with around 200 horses.
1. 1997 Chevrolet C-2500 Crew Cab Silverado
Movie: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
"I'm Buck and I'm here to fuck." That's what the owner of this truck said to the Bride, while she was in a coma. Bad mistake. She heard every last word and sliced his Achilles tendons, before bashing his head in with a hospital room door. She then took his "Pussy Wagon" to exact revenge on the people that put her in a four-year sleep.