While it may not be the first of its kind, the Mad Max movies have become the go-to template for almost all forms of post-apocalyptic fiction that takes place in a desert. Nothing represents this better than the vehicles of the franchise, all of which could be considered to be characters of their own.
What makes these rides even better is the simple fact that they’re all real, having been built for the movie – but some cars are just better than others. Without further delay, these are the five best and five worst vehicles to ride the watelands of the Mad Max franchise.
BEST: The Doof Wagon
Of the many vehicles to appear in Fury Road, none have become as beloved as The Doof Wagon. Basically a heavy metal concert on wheels, the Doof Wagon serves as the post-apocalyptic version of a drummer boy in the Immortan’s forces, firing up the War Boys with Coma-Doof Warrior’s sick flamethrower-guitar shredding.
The only reason why this vehicle ranks low is because, awesome as it is, it’s incredibly impractical. The Doof Wagon can’t do much outside of ramming other vehicles and it got demolished fairly quickly in the canyon. What it lacks in practicality, however, it more than makes up for in sheer badassery.
WORST: The Tanker
Hungry for more gasoline, Lord Humungus’ Marauders lay siege to one of the last oil refineries. During the finale, the Northern Tribe hauls the gasoline in a tanker, leading to one of the most iconic chases of the ‘80s. Aside from the fact that it looks like the first draft of the War Rig (more on that later), what makes the tanker rank low is that it’s a giant lie on wheels.
Instead of carrying gasoline, it’s filled with sand – something even Max didn’t know. Given the survivors’ desperation, this decoy’s existence makes sense and adds to the bittersweet vibes of The Road Warrior. Still, it feels like salt rubbed on Max’s emotional scars. It’s no wonder why he has so many trust issues.
BEST: The Pole Cats’ Cars
Fury Road overflows with some of the greatest stunts ever committed to film, all of which could be best summarized by the Pole Cats’ mere existence. Hailing from Gas Town, the Pole Cats swing into action and onto the War Rig by riding on towering swing poles strapped to moving cars.
These cars’ sole purpose is a sight to behold, as they give the overly familiar desert post-apocalypse a new brand of raider. Despite the lack of a massive body of water, the Pole Cats are basically the wastelands’ equivalent of swashbuckling pirates, and they’re as threatening as that description implies.
WORST: The Bartertown Train
The vehicles in Beyond Thunderdome are more salvaged than usual, given how long it’s been since civilization collapsed. Nowhere is this more evident than the Bartertown train, which is a weird amalgamation of a shack, a truck, and a rickety methane gas plant powered by pigs’ poop. While it’s an engineering feat in the post-apocalypse, the train is paradoxically useful and useless at the same time.
Sure, it’s a mobile powerplant but where exactly does it lead to? Also, whose bright idea was it to put Bartertown’s sole powerplant on a train that could escape at any time? The train is also at the mercy of the railroads, so its chances of surviving a daring escape in the wastelands (where the tracks are probably broken or outright gone) are limited at best.
BEST: The Lord Humungus’ Chariot
Villains deserve a fittingly menacing vehicle, and Lord Humungus’ ride fits this bill perfectly. Not only is it an intimidating off-road six-wheeler with a powerful engine and weapon holsters, but it doubles as the masked warlord’s chariot that shows off his might.
What makes this chariot more fearsome is that strapped to its front are the Lord Humungus’ prisoners – who die the moment the burlap sacks on their heads fly off during the final chase. Lord Humungus’ truck is meant to strike fear in his victims’ hearts, and it does so with frightening ease.
WORST: The Camel Wagon
Following the loss of the Pursuit Special in The Road Warrior, Max is understandably left without a vehicle. His replacement is a ramshackle car that looks like it’s seconds away from falling apart. Whenever he runs out of gas, Max has a bunch of camels drag the wagon across the desert.
Max is known as one of the greatest drivers in all of cinematic history, so it’s weirdly comical to see him ride around in something even a shady post-apocalyptic car salesman would have a hard time hawking. Thankfully, Max doesn’t spend too much time using the wagon and it serves a sacrificial purpose by the end of the movie, cementing Max’s heroic status for good.
BEST: The Pursuit Special
Also known as the “last of the V8 Interceptors,” Max’s signature car is also the face of the Mad Max franchise for a reason. In a wasteland dominated by hellish vehicles and heavily modified cars, the Pursuit Special stands out thanks to its simplicity. It’s hard to ignore a vintage muscle car like this in a sea of crashing metal and road rage.
With just a modified engine and two extra fuel tanks, the Pursuit Special outran its bigger and more intimidating foes more than once. Granted, it gets totaled more than once but that doesn’t diminish just how iconic and legendary Max’s car is. When it comes to classic movie cars, few can get on the Pursuit Special’s level.
WORST: The Razor Cola
After the War Boys get their hands on the Pursuit Special, they “rebirth” it into a member of Immortan Joe’s army. The end result is the Razor Cola, which is basically Max’s car but with spikes and skulls. It also looks like crap.
Sure, it runs faster thanks to a new engine, but it’s the motorized equivalent of overcompensating. The Pursuit Special’s awesomeness comes from how it only needs the bare essentials to be iconic. The Razor Cola, meanwhile, is overloaded with things that a raging juvenile delinquent who’s desperate for affirmation from a warlord would think is “cool.” When people talk about remakes being an insult to a classic, this is what they mean.
BEST: The War Rig
The only Mad Max vehicle that could best the Pursuit Special is none other than the War Rig. Part supply vehicle and part mobile fortress, the Rig is the symbol of Immortan Joe’s might… which gets stolen by Imperator Furiosa so she can liberate his wives. What gives the War Rig the edge over the Pursuit Special is what it represents.
If every vehicle in Mad Max is an extension of its driver’s personality, the War Rig could be seen as Furiosa’s fiercely protective nature towards the Wives. Her willingness to share the driver’s seat with Max shows their growing bond and respect for one other, to the point where they fight in perfect unison against the Rock Riders.
The War Rig’s final sacrifice (with a redeemed Nux at the driver’s seat) also shows that those raised in a self-destructive society (like the Rig itself) are still capable of good, proving that there’s still hope for the wastelands of the Mad Max world. We’ll see the Pursuit Special again someday, but there’ll never be another War Rig.
WORST: The People Eater’s Limousine
While the People Eater’s oversized limo makes sense in terms of supplying Immortan Joe’s convoy with its precious guzzoline, it’s still nothing more than a giant explosive target on wheels that’s just begging to get shot at. The fact that it rides in the middle of said convoy shows how dumb and inconsiderate its design is.
Other than fuel, all this mobile gas station has to offer is one easily disposable gunner and ramming into other vehicles and people. It turning into a giant fireball isn’t a matter of “If” but really of “When.” To give credit where it’s due, this luxury vehicle (by post-apocalyptic standards, at least) gave the Mad Max franchise its best and largest explosion to date.