The Sci-Fi genre has given us a lot of things over the years—from glimpses of future technology to apocalypses that can lead mankind to their impending doom. One of the major things that catch our attention in sci-fi movies and shows are some of their pretty cool automobiles. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own a Batmobile? Or take the time-traveling DeLorean for a spin?
Creative directors of these films have been very innovative in portraying the perfect ride for their main characters—leaving the viewers wanting to own the automobiles for themselves! The list of sci-fi automobiles out there is increasing by the day. This article gives you a collection of 10 of the most popular automobile designs inspired by the futuristic technology of sci-fi movies.
1. Audi RSQ from I, Robot | Automobile Designs
The Audi RSQ was a concept car that was custom built for the Sci-Fi movie I, Robot that was released in 2004. The Audi RSQ was the first-ever automobile design that Audi had specifically developed for a movie. The movie was set in 2035 and was a take on the future where robots are a part of our lives, and Audi carved out a futuristic-looking car for Will Smith’s character.
Minimalism was the major theme that the company followed for this design. Audi wanted to showcase a clutter-free outlook for 2035 where every car had autonomous technology and the design of the RSQ was a pretty good wireframe for CGI to perfect on screen. This design later paved the way for the release of the Audi R8 in 2006, which was similar to it in many aspects. Cruising around in the 2021 Audi R8 is the closest you’ll get to looking like Detective Del Spooner (played by Will Smith in I, Robot) and it starts at $154,900.
2. Cybertruck – A blend of James Bond and Blade Runner
In November 2019, Elon Musk unveiled his latest project the Cybertruck by Tesla. The futuristic-like cyberpunk (as he described) pickup truck was inspired by The Spinners from Blade Runner and Wet Nellie, the submarine car from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. With a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton crafted from UltraHard 30X ColdRolled stainless steel and Tesla armour glass, the Cybertruck was developed for ultimate durability and protection. The truck was priced at $39,900 for a single motor, rear-wheel drive version and a solid $69,900 for the more powerful tri-motor, all-wheel-drive version.
3. Mclaren 720s, The New-Age Batmobile | Automobile Designs
The Mclaren 720s has been dubbed “The closest one would get to driving the Batmobile” by many. The famous Batmobile from Batman (be it Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, or Christian Bale based on when you were born) is a car that everyone has dreamed of owning! The automobile design mirrors Batman’s personality – dark, mysterious, and oozes elegance and class.
The Mclaren 720s is a close to perfection embodiment of everything the Batmobile represents. The McLaren contrasts between convenience and hyper-speed and its exquisite form took inspiration from the Great White Shark. If you want to feel like Batman, then this car can be yours starting at $489,900.
4. Ford Falcon XB GT – V8 Interceptor from Mad Max
Anyone who has seen the Mad Max series would know that the titular character’s ride of choice, popularly known as the V8 Interceptor, was a 1974 Ford Falcon XB GT modified with a Concorde nose. The car was built in 1977 by Ford for Mad Max, which saw a worldwide release in theatres in 1979. The 1974 Ford Falcon GT 351 version, the automobile design based on which this car was developed, was sold as a limited edition in Australia alone before it was redesigned to become the V8 Interceptor.
Post the shooting of Mad Max, the original movie version of the V8 Interceptor was put up for sale but ended up having no buyers and ended up being reused for Max Mad 2: The Road Warrior. Although no one bought the movie original which was priced at $7,500 in 1979, the 1974 Ford Falcon GT was a classic car that was priced at $6113 then.
5. Can-Am Maverick X3s – Futuristic Buggies in Westworld | Automobile Designs
Westworld is an American Sci-Fi dystopian series that has caught the attention of the public in the past few years. The season 2 premiere of Westworld created quite a stir amongst the people and one thing that came out of the second season is the debut of the awesome, murdered-out dune buggies. The vehicles that were used in the show were the Can-Am Maverick X3s. Specifically, the 4-seater Max X RS Turbo R. The Mavericks are powerful, fast UTVs that comes in three trim levels and two or four-seat configurations.
The producers of Westworld didn’t make any major tweaks to the original automobile design before including it in their show. The only difference between the buggies riding the sandy beaches of Westworld’s mysterious new park and the original are the new spruced-up wheels and the missing doors. Riding the Can-Am Maverick may or may not make you feel like you’re a part of the Delos Extraction Team from Westworld but you can purchase it at $22,000-$30,000 depending on the configurations.
6. Ford Taurus – The Robocop Car
If you’ve seen all three Robocop movies, you’d notice that the car that is common to all of them is the Ford Taurus. Before using it in the film, The Tauruses were given a matte black repaint, push bars, a lightbar, and a couple of other police gear. When Robocop was released in 1987, all everyone wanted to do was own a car featured in the film and it was priced around $12,048-$15,669 back then. Although Ford managed to revive the Taurus and keep the model selling for almost 30 years, they discontinued the car in 2019. But one can still find the Robocop version on eBay as there are many collectors’ editions cars out there!
7. 1982 Pontiac Trans Am – KITT from Knight Rider
The Knight Industries Two Thousand car, or KITT, was the automotive protagonist in the television series Knight Rider from the early 1980s. Many cars were used as KITT over the years, the most popular one being the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The car KITT was supposed to be an automobile that was a technologically advanced version of the Firebird Trans Am, controlled by an AI computer.
The third generation Firebird had undergone a complete transformation from its predecessor – featuring new sheet metal, concealed headlights, glass-dominated rear hatchback, and sleek styling. A couple of tweaks were made to the Firebird for it to truly become KITT. In the original television show, the car had a red light in the hood that depicted its X-ray or infra-red scanning ability. So, the Trans Am’s interior was updated for the movie to show a futuristic cockpit that was powered by AI that would also speak to the main character, Michael Knight (played by David Hasselhoff).
The car was an instant hit with audiences and spawned many replicas throughout the years. In 1982, one could purchase the Firebird for a starting price of $9,658. Today, one can get this third-gen Firebird at a median price of $10,000.
Recently, actor David Hasselhoff had auctioned off his own personal K.I.T.T. vehicle which he had owned post Knight Rider. Although the car can’t jump over obstacles using turbo boost and can’t talk either, it is still a pretty cool thing to own, if you’re into that sort of thing. The car was auctioned off at $300,000 on January 23rd, 2021.
8. Tron Light Cycle by Parker Brothers Concepts
The 2010 Tron Legacy gave us one of the most unforgettable bikes of the century—the Light Cycle. Every 90s kid hoped to get a license soon just to drive a bike like that. And thanks to Parker Brothers Concepts, the Tron Cycle is available for people to purchase and feel just as cool as Sam Flynn (Played by Garett Hedlund).
Artist Daniel Simon was the visionary behind the Tron Light Cycle, and the Parker Brothers Concepts used the original blueprints made for the film to recreate this iconic ride. The Xenon was an electric version of the bike that charged in three hours and achieved speeds up to 70 mph. An upgraded version of the bike, the NeuTron, was better and sleeker than its predecessor. It had electroluminescent strips on the rims and also came with customisable colours, lighting, thumb-scan ignition, and an iPad mini digital display. One could be the proud owner of the Tron Light Cycle recreation at the starting price of $55,000.
9. Lexus LC 500 from Black Panther
One of the most iconic scenes from Black Panther, is a high-speed car chase in the neon-lit streets of South Korean city Busan, as the Black Panther chases the thieves who have stolen a piece of the precious Vibranium. And the star of the scene is the Lexus LC 500. For most of the chase, the Black Panther surfs on the roof of a deep blue Lexus LC 500, and the scene perfectly showcases the capabilities of the car.
Although not fictional, the Lexus LC 500 is a pretty sweet car to own, especially if the Black Panther himself owned it. And there was also a special limited Black Panther edition of the car, so there’s that too! Toyota released the 2021 Lexus LC 500 pretty recently which you can own for a price of $93,050.
10. DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to The Future | Automobile Designs
Number 10 on the list, is one of the most iconic automobile designs in movie history. Back to The Future is one of the biggest movie franchises ever and the Delorean Time Machine is one of the most popular fictional automobiles that drove the crowd wild. True, the Delorean DMC-12 couldn’t go back and forth in time, but that didn’t stop everyone from wanting to own one.
When Doc Brown first introduces his beat-up DeLorean in the movie Back to the Future, he tells Marty McFly, “The way I see it, if you’re going to build a time machine with a car, why not do it with some style?” In its day, the Delorean was a pretty stylish ride, and post Back to The Future, it gave rise to many replicas through the years. One can purchase one of the many models (if not the exact one in the film) for around $35,000 to $45,000.
A few years ago, the DeLorean Motor Company had said that it planned to build a new set of DMC-12 models. In 2020, the CEO of the company announced that the new models would be released around fall 2021. The newer models are expected to have some upgrades, but with the same iconic look that the fans know and love. The upcoming DMC-12s are approximately going to be priced around $100,000.
BONUS – Aston Martin Valhalla – No Time To Die
The James Bond franchise isn’t exactly Sci-Fi but nonetheless has its titular character riding some of the best cars in all of the movies. No Time To Die is the upcoming 25th James Bond film starring Daniel Craig which is set to feature not one but four cars from Aston Martin. The company has confirmed that Valhalla will play a starring role in the film. Although The Aston Martin Valhalla is still a long time away from arriving in customers’ hands, it has made multiple appearances for the publicity of the upcoming Bond film.
The Valhalla has a ton of new and cutting-edge tech that exemplifies its hypercar status and is definitely getting the people hyped up for its release. Aston is only building 500 Valhallas, with each expected to be priced at £875,000 (or $1,240,732).
