Need for Speed - Complete Car Guide 620x320

Need for Speed may have action/stunt director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) behind the camera and Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul in front of the camera, but make no mistake, the real "stars" of this film are the America muscle cars and European super cars tearing up the road onscreen.

In less than six months, 15 super cars were reproduced for this movie  (no studio accountant in their right mind is going to authorize the stunt use of a $1.5 million car) and except for the laughably expensive carbon fiber bodies, all-aluminum engines and super high-end tires, these cars are presented onscreen exactly as they are in real life.

In this list you'll find the real world specs for each vehicle (NOT the movie specs, since each vehicle was either heavily modified or replicated for on-film stunts). All the super cars were modified to have a GM LS3 engine, 430 horsepower and 425-foot pounds of torque  - still plenty of beef under the hood.

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1. 1966 Pontiac GTO

Need for Speed - 1966 Pontiac GTO

Engine: Tri-power V-8

Horsepower: 360 HP

0-60 MPH: 6.5 seconds

Top Speed: 114 MPH

The only way to get a GTO before 1965 was to upgrade the Pontiac Tempest or LeMans, but due to the popularity of that particular model, Pontiac gave the "Goat" its very own series in 1966 - and it exploded onto the market. The GTO is the quintessential American muscle car and even straight from the factory is a brutish beast off the light.

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2. 1969 Ford Gran Torino

Need for Speed - 1969 Ford Gran Torino

Engine: 428 cubic inch FE V-8

Horsepower: 335 HP

0-60 MPH: 5.7 seconds

Top Speed: 120 MPH

Before it was the title of an award-winning movie starring Clint Eastwood, the Gran Torino was a one of Ford's most popular muscle cars - they produced over 300,000 units. Like most vehicles, there were several variations of the model, ranging from stock to premium, but each of them was fun and loud to drive.

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3. 2013 Shelby GT500

Need for Speed - 2013 Shelby GT500

Engine: 5.8 Liter V-8

Horsepower: 620 HP

0-60 MPH: 3.6 seconds

Top Speed: 190 MPH

Carroll Shelby was a legendary American car racer in the late 1950s, but his true skill shined as a gifted car designer who created some of the best performance-based American cars beginning in the mid-'60s. He continued to design until the day he passed away in 2012. In fact, he had been working on the 50th anniversary edition of the Ford Mustang when he died. His car designs are as beautiful as they are powerful and factory stock versions of his cars will blow the doors off most of the competition.

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4. 2015 Ford Mustang GT

Need for Speed - 2015 Ford Mustang GT

Engine: 5.0 Liter Coyote V-8

Horsepower: 420 HP

0-60 MPH: Not Released

Top Speed: 155 MPH

Ford's next version of their classic - and most popular - muscle car, the Mustang (it's been seen or referenced over 3,000 times in movies, TV shows and songs since its 1964 debut in Goldfinger) wasn't even available on the market while Need for Speed was filming, but that doesn't stop Aaron Paul's character from getting behind the wheel. Ford calls the sleek redesign the "World's Mustang" and it's available in three versions - Base 3.6 Liter V-6, EcoBoost 2.3 Liter 4 cylinder and GT 5.0 Liter V-8.

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5. Saleen S7

Need for Speed - Saleen S7

Engine: Ford 427 7.0 Liter V-8

Horsepower: 550 HP

0-60 MPH: 3.1 seconds

Top Speed: 199 MPH

As the completely hand-made, American-built Saleen S7 proves, not every supercar has to be of the exotic European variety. The stats above are for the 2000-2004 models, but in 2005 Saleen introduced a Twin Turbo variation that packed a walloping 750 HP and a top speed of 248 MPH. It's unclear which version was used in the movie, but either way, with a price tag of over $400,000, chances are a low-cost replica was put in front of the camera.

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6. Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Need for Speed - Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Engine: Mid-mounted 5.2 Liter V10

Horsepower: 570 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.4 seconds

Top Speed: 186 MPH

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini pretty much outdid themselves with the introduction of the blazingly fast and extremely sick Sesto Elemento in 2011. The car has only gotten better - and more expensive - over the last three years and sports a wallet-draining $2.2 million price tag. The name of the car is a reference to the sixth element on the period table - carbon - which comprises most of its chassis in the form of carbon fiber.

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7. McLaren P1

Need for Speed - McLaren P1

Engine: McLaren M838TQ twin-turbo 3.8 Liter V8

Horsepower: 903 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.8 seconds

Top Speed: 217 MPH

British supercar manufacturer McLaren Automotive has been churning out high performance, high concept vehicles since the early 1990s, none more impressive than the McLaren F1...until now. The McLaren P1 can be driven up to 6 miles solely on its 324-cell lithium-ion batteries, so it's not exactly built for a cross-country trek - good thing it also runs on good old-fashioned gasoline. The hybrid P1 supercar would be in every hipster, Earth-conscious, gear head's garage if it weren't for the $1.2 million price tag - assuming they could find one of the only 325 cars built up for sale.

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8. GTA Spano

Need for Speed - GTA Spano

Engine: Mid-mounted 8.3 Liter V-10

Horsepower:  900 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 217 MPH

The GTA Spano is a Spanish supercar that first made a splash as a concept car in 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show. Parent company Spania GTA unveiled the limited edition GTA Spano seen in the movie at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, but only 99 were built. Word has it they're working on an even more limited edition version boasting a mind-thumping 1200 horsepower. It wouldn't be a surprise to see that version show up in Need for Speed 2 (assuming it happens).

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9. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Need for Speed - Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Engine: 8.0 Liter Quad-Turbocharged W-16

Horsepower: 1200 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.46 seconds

Top Speed: 268 MPH

The ultra-fast, ultra-sleek, ultra-expensive (retail is $2.4 million) Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is by far the baddest mother in this movie and it held the world record for fast production car to prove it. Everything about this Volkswagen-made super car is ridiculously awesome -  and expensive, right down to the $42,000 tires (which have to be replaced every 10,000 miles), the $69,000 rims (which have to be replaced every 30,000 miles) and the 26 gallon gas tank which would be running on fumes after 10 minutes at top speed. Unless you're an oil tycoon, prince of a country, or a Powerball winner, the only way you're driving one of these is with a game controller. Besides, getting insurance for it would be crazy difficult. We wonder if Jake from State Farm would give us a quote?

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10. Koenigsegg Agera - Standard

Need for Speed - Koenigsegg Agera

Engine: 5.0 Liter Twin-Turbocharged V-8

Horsepower: 940 HP

0-60 MPH: 3.1 seconds 

Top Speed: 260 MPH

Swedish company Koenigsegg produces some of the finest, most innovative, and most sought after supercars in the world. The body is made of color pre-impregnated carbon fiber, the engine is made of aluminum and the gas tanks are built into the chassis allowing for better weight distribution. Be prepared to pay for all that innovation, though, as the cost of an Agera will set you back close to $2 Million.

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11. Koenigsegg Agera R

Need for Speed - Koenigsegg Agera R

Engine: 5.0 Liter Twin-Turbocharged V-8 Biofuel

Horsepower: 1140 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.9 seconds

Top Speed: 273 MPH (Theoretical)

Just like the McLaren P1, Koenigsegg took the Agera to a whole different environmentally-friendly level by giving the R version the ability to run solely on biofuel (E85 ethanol). The car performs better on E85 than it does on standard gasoline, but if you're able to afford the price tag on one of these $2 million cars, then saving money on gas probably isn't your first concern.

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12. Koenigsegg Agera S

Need for Speed - Koenigsegg Agera S

Engine: 5.0 Liter Twin-Turbocharged V-8

Horsepower: 1030 HP

0-60 MPH: 2.8 seconds

Top Speed: 273 MPH (Theoretical)

Koenigsegg specifically made this model for people who live in countries without a lot of biofuel/E85 available to them - like the United States. The specifications are exactly the same as the Agera R, except it runs on standard gasoline (which lowers the horsepower a tad) and the rear wing/spoiler is controlled by the force of the wind pushing down on it, instead of being electronically controlled. It also cost considerably less at "only" $1.6 million.

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13. Ferrari 458 Italia (Chase Car)

Need for Speed - Ferrari 458 Italia

Engine: Ferrari/Maserati 4.5 Liter V-8

Horsepower: 560 HP

0-60 MPH: 3.3 seconds

Top Speed: 202 MPH

Unless director Scott Waugh wanted to use really fast cars in his movie but drive them really slow, he needed to find a way to allow the chase cars carrying the camera equipment to keep up - enter the Ferrari 458 Italia. The cars were heavily modified to carry all the gear required to film the road scenes but had enough oomph under the hood to roll bumper-to-bumper with all the high-octane super cars. You'll never see this car onscreen, but you'll know it's there because it's the one taking all the shots...just like dad used to do with family photographs.

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Conclusion

Need for Speed - Super Car Guide

Only time will tell if Need for Speed can turn into the next big supercar franchise, but one thing is for sure, they've got the right vehicles in the movie. And lest you think they couldn't possibly include anymore supercars in the inevitable sequel, there are still plenty of exotic cars from the video games to be included - such as, the Jaguar C-X75 Prototype, Corvette Stingray, Porsche 911 GT3 and Aston Martin Vanquish.

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MORE: Fast and Furious 6 Car Guide - Iconic TV/Movie Cars

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Need For Speed will be in theaters on March 14th.

Follow me on Twitter - @MoviePaul - if you can catch me in my factory VW '12 Passatt Sport Edition - that's right...SPORT EDITION.