New on DVD

By Kat Giantis
Special to MSN Movies

Cars and celluloid go together like Jessica Simpson and huge honkin' diamond engagement rings, and moviegoers have been fascinated with souped-up scene-stealers since the early days of Hollywood. To select the best vehicular flicks, we went for movies in which the car was as much the star as, well, the star. To help you rev up for the release of "Speed Racer," in descending order, the top 10 are ...   

10. "Christine" (1983)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Dorky high-schooler Arnie Cunningham enters into a dysfunctional relationship with his homicidal car.

Under the Hood: Arnie's red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury boasted a 305 hp Golden Commando V8 engine, although in some scenes a customized (and less moniker-menacing) Plymouth Belvedere was used.

Special Options: A mass-murdering evil presence was not standard inside most '58 Plymouths.

9. "American Graffiti" (1973)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: George Lucas directed this tale of '60s teens on the brink of adulthood. Oh, and most of 'em have really cool rides.

Under the Hood: "Graffiti" is a showcase of classic cars: Ron Howard's 1958 white Chevy Impala; Paul Le Mat's 1932 open-wheel yellow Ford Deuce Coupe; Harrison Ford's "wicked" 1955 black Chevy with a 454 engine; and Suzanne Somers' 1956 white Thunderbird.

Turbo Trivia: One of the '55 Chevys used in the film is from another seminal car movie, the cult fave "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971).

8. "The Italian Job" (1969)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Lovable British criminals (led by Michael Caine) attempt to steal $4 million in gold bullion.

Under the Hood: To make their escape through the traffic-clogged streets of Turin, Italy, the thieves pilot three Mini Coopers (in Union Jack-inspired red, white and blue) down the steps of a cathedral, over the Fiat factory and through a sewer pipe, among other places.

Turbo Trivia: A Los Angeles-based remake starring Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton, Charlize Theron and a host of new Mini Coopers came out in May 2003.

7. "The Love Bug" (1968)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Down-on-his-luck race car driver Jim Douglas (Dean Jones) zooms to victory in a cuddly, anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen Beetle sedan (with cloth sunroof).

Under the Hood: For the racing scenes, one of the Herbies (more than a dozen were used during production) had some added oomph thanks to an installed Porsche engine.

Special Options: A driver equipped with special controls was hidden in the backseat for the scenes in which Herbie piloted itself. Also, most Beetles don't matchmake for their owners.

6. "xXx" (2002)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Vin Diesel is Xander Cage, a tattoo-stained extreme-sports star and self-proclaimed nihilist recruited by the government to infiltrate a crime ring.

Under the Hood: The rippled Cage drives, appropriately enough, the seminal muscle car: a 1967 midnight blue Pontiac GTO. 

Special Options: A nonfactory standard rocket launcher and flame thrower

5. "Thelma & Louise" (1991)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Bored housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) and cynical waitress Louise (Susan Sarandon) run for their lives (and find their inner Gloria Steinems) after a weekend trip goes horribly wrong.

Under the Hood: A 1966 metallic green convertible Ford Thunderbird

Special Options: White-hot Brad Pitt and his six-pack abs in the backseat

Turbo Trivia: Five different T-birds were used in the movie, but the car sent over the cliff was a junker hardtop with the roof cut off.

4. "Mad Max" (1979)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: In a dystopian future (is there any other kind?), retired cop Max (a then unknown Mel Gibson) gets really, er, mad at the biker gang who murdered his family.

Under the Hood: Max exacts revenge in an "Interceptor," an Australian-built 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT coupe with a 351 hp V8 engine.

Special Options: The muscular-looking supercharger on the car's hood was just for show.

Turbo Trivia: Only 949 Falcon XB GT coupes were ever produced.

3. "Back to the Future" (1985)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot '80s teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) travels back to the '50s, where he meets his parents (and his mom makes a pass at him -- ewwwww.).

Under the Hood: Marty speeds down the space-time continuum in a gull-winged, stainless steel 1981 DeLorean.

Special Options: Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) outfits his DeLorean with a plutonium-powered Flux Capacitor, which requires 1.21 gigawatts of electricity for time travel. All the DeLorean had to do was hit 88 mph, which, given its reliability record, was hit or miss.

2. "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Bandit (Burt Reynolds, with his original hair) has a long way to go and a short time to get there, with a runaway bride (Sally Field) in the passenger seat and Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) in hot pursuit. 

Under the Hood: A black-and-gold 6.6L V8 automatic special edition Pontiac T-Top Trans Am (one of seven used in the film).

Turbo Trivia: Trans Am sales soared after the movie's release, and Pontiac started offering buyers an optional factory-installed CB radio.

1. "Bullitt" (1968)

Pedal-to-the-Metal Plot: Steve McQueen is monosyllabic, turtlenecked detective Frank Bullitt, who ignores the speed limit as he chases murderers over the hills of San Francisco.

Under the Hood: Bullitt's 1968 Fastback Mustang GT 390 (color: Highland Green) roars after a 1968 Charger 440.

Turbo Trivia: In 1974, car nut McQueen reportedly tried to buy one of the film's two Mustangs (the other was destroyed), but the current owner wouldn't sell. It was most recently parked in a hay barn in the Ohio River Valley.

Sound off: Comment on this story

Also: 'The Big Debate': Emile or Shia: Which star is in the fast lane?

Do you agree with our list? Have a title or three to add? Send us feedback at heymsn@microsoft.com