Films often do very great jobs at innovating when it comes to on-screen vehicles. Some films modify older vehicles into completely different creations that steal scenes and end up memorable. The Mad Max franchise is no stranger at creating awesome vehicles and constantly coming up with new modified gas guzzlers that end up as some of the best vehicles ever seen in the film industry.
There have been some amazing cars such as The War Rig, a monstrous vehicle from Mad Max: Fury Road. There have also been some very strange and not so great vehicles such as a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air with flames on it. Here are 5 vehicles that were awesome, and 5 that weren't in the Mad Max franchise.
Awesome: v8 Interceptor
The Ford Falcon, or the Interceptor as it is known in the films, is the most known and iconic vehicle in the Mad Max franchise. It has a very punk looking body that fits perfectly in the setting of the films. Driven by Max himself, this vehicle appears at the end of the first Mad Max film, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, and briefly in Mad Max: Fury Road with modification and is known as the Razor Cola.
The best version of it is really up for debate as some find the Razor Cola to be a very unique redesign and some find the classic Interceptor to be the best. Either way, it's a very cool looking car that we hope makes a return in future films.
Not Awesome: Cow Car
This car is so hilariously ugly that it could almost pass as awesome. It was originally known as the Moo Car and was used in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome during the final chase scene where Max fights Aunty Entity and her men.
The thing that's crazy is how badass Max looks in a car with a fuzzy cow exterior. He manages to do some serious damage with the Cow Car and it surprisingly is quite fast. Max could probably drive a car with a skunk-like exterior and still manage to look cool in it.
Awesome: Yamaha R1
The achievement of the worn post-apocalyptic design of this motorcycle is truly remarkable. It has a handcrafted look to it that makes it so special compared to if the film had just used some worn down dirt-bikes. Fury Road did so well at creating amazing concepts for even the vehicles that didn't have much screentime.
The Yamaha R1 was perfect for the film and it was awesome to see Max himself use it briefly. More motorcycles in future Mad Max films would be great to see, especially more unique ones.
Not Awesome: The Mini
Mini Coopers aren't terrible cars but they're probably the last vehicle you'd think about driving in the brutal wasteland of Mad Max. This one in particular just looks very plain and boring and doesn't appear a lot besides in a couple of shots in Fury Road.
The paint job doesn't offer anything nice to look at and the overall design is pretty bad. The Cow Car looks more unique than this one. The vehicle was pushed in the background for what is most likely some very good reasons. It looks extremely uncomfortable to drive as well.
Awesome: The War Rig
The War Rig was one of the many gigantic vehicles that stole scenes in Mad Max: Fury Road. It's huge, mean, ferocious, and really gets the most screentime compared to any of the other vehicles in the film. It could almost be considered as one of the main characters just as much as Max and Furiosa.
There's a lot of neat little details like the hidden weapons in the cabin of the War Rig, the dagger inside of the stick shift, and the supercharger switch. It's pretty roomy and is perfectly suited for the wasteland.
Not Awesome: 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air itself isn't a terrible car, it's not great either but what makes it not so awesome is the ugly bright color with flames. It just doesn't compare to some of the awesome huge vehicles and even the muscle cars in the movies.
It was one of the first vehicles introduced in the original Mad Max film and thankfully it never appeared again. The 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air is just not a post-apocalyptic car and even with modifications, it wouldn't compare to any of the other vehicles.
Awesome: The Doof Wagon
Rock and roll! This vehicle could probably sell very well if it was mass-produced. If there was one vehicle that would help someone survive the apocalypse, this would probably be it. Equipped with gigantic speakers and an awesome stage with a shredding guitar player, this is the ultimate machine.
If the guitarist were to get his own spin-off Mad Max film, it'd probably sell out. The Doof Wagon was a scene-stealer and it'd be great to see something similar to it in the future Mad Max films, perhaps a drummer instead of a guitarist.
Not Awesome: Cranky Frank
Another hunk of junk that has a rusty look that doesn't do the vehicle any justice, Cranky Frank is a completely strange looking vehicle that has a ridiculously large blower. The rear tires are bigger than the front which may lead to some very uncomfortable rides, but it does have a mounted turret on the back of it.
If the vehicle doors get stuck in any bad situation, the driver and passenger are almost definitely guaranteed death due to how small the windows are. Either way, it's still a pretty cool creation but not as awesome as the other vehicles.
Awesome: BigFoot
Besides the fact that this vehicle murdered an innocent young pregnant woman due to Immortan Joe's rage against Furiosa and ruthless driving, Bigfoot is a cool looking vehicle. In a lot of ways, it's actually cooler than Immortan Joe's Gigahorse and had a much meaner look than some of the other vehicles in the film.
It's of course, like most of the vehicles in this film, not fuel-efficient what so ever. It is, however, a great way to strike fear into your enemies and crush any small vehicle in your way.
Not Awesome: Rhino
This thing is downright ugly and super strange looking. It appears briefly in Mad Max: Fury Road and could, in fact, be one of the worst looking vehicles in the movie. Made from a Toyota Land Cruiser, the Rhino does somewhat resemble its name but not to the point where it really matters.
The white paint job with the post-apocalyptic look to it just makes it look like something you'd find in a junkyard. It could have been gotten some cool points as another truck with a mounted turret with perhaps some spikes around it.