‘Baby Driver’ Had a Lot More Muscle Than a Dodge Challenger
In 2017, writer and director Edgar Wright took a stab at something of a motorized musical. However, you wouldn’t find much singing in his film “Baby Driver.” Instead, movie fans will find an action movie with copious driving stunts and a synced soundtrack. From gearshifts to gunfire, everything lines up with the film’s music. What’s more, car enthusiasts likely remember the thunderous, albeit short, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat escape above all else. However, the fast-paced, foot-tapping flick features more than one muscular Mopar.
From a classic Lincoln Continental Mark V to a bright-red Subaru Impreza WRX, ‘Baby Driver’ has everyday hero cars
“You ever shot a gun before, homie?” “I just did.” “Literally five minutes ago.” That was the exchange that preceded Baby and Debora relieving two young joyriders of their Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The next 42 seconds (yes, just 42 seconds) showcase Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, sliding the tail-happy Dodge Challenger around corners. Unfortunately, the Challenger sounds a bit more like the R/T Scat Pack, omitting the manic supercharger whine of the Hellcat.
However, the Challenger is far from the star of “Baby Driver.” Early in the movie, Elgort’s unfortunately named character, Baby, performs his first on-screen getaway drive in a bright-red 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX. However, the film employed five different Subarus to create the technical (and musical) getaway scene.
As a break from performance cars and police vehicles, Baby takes his date out for a celebratory dinner in a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V. It’s a stark departure from the shorter, snappier cars the outlaw drove in earlier scenes, like the Subaru Impreza WRX. At 230 inches long, the classic Continental Mark V is more of a land yacht than a Bonnie and Clyde-esque getaway car.
Of course, the car-spotting doesn’t end with two American boats and a WRX. Being a movie about a wheelman, police cars are commonplace. But Jon Hamm’s character, Buddy, attempts to kill Baby and Debora in a sinister black Atlanta PD-liveried Dodge Charger Pursuit. This is after Kevin Spacey routinely shows off his W222-generation Mercedes-Benz S 550. Of course, after Baby pays his debt to society, he and his beloved ride off into the sunset in an apropos 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible.
