‘Red Notice’ Features A Porsche, Mercedes, and Surprising Volkswagen
Article Highlights for Red Notice cars
- A Porsche Taycan proved too small for Dwayne Johnson
- Gal Gadot drives a vintage Mercedes convertible
- Ryan Reynolds rides shotgun in a Volkswagen “Thing” Type 181
Netflix’s exclusive new film, Red Notice, has something for everyone. It is a globe-trotting, treasure-hunting, cops-and-robbers heist film. It stars three of Hollywood’s biggest names: Gal Godot, Dwayne Johnson, and Ryan Reynolds. Best of all, the movie features tons of cool vehicles. The trailer reveals private jets, powerboats, helicopters, and three unique German cars. Vintage cars include a Volkswagen Type 181 “Thing” and a 1930s Mercedes convertible. These are contrasted by the cutting-edge Porsche Taycan.
The Porsche Taycan that Dwayne Johnson could not fit into
Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji, Fast and Furious 5) is not a small guy. When he wrestled as “The Rock,” The WWE billed him as 6’2″ and 260 pounds. Perhaps the A-Lister’s size is why Johnson drives a Ford truck. The filmmakers decided to put his character, FBI agent John Hartley, in a Porsche Taycan. When Johnson arrived on set, they were in for an unfortunate surprise.
The Taycan may have seemed an obvious choice. It is not a tiny sports car, but a full electric sedan. Its 911-reminiscent styling made it one of the year’s most beautiful sedans. As a result, the Porsche Taycan outsold the 911. When Red Notice began filming in January 2020, the Taycan was a brand-new model. Johnson recalls that it took the director months and lots of money to buy one and ship it to the Atlanta studio.
In the first scene on the schedule, Johnson was supposed to dramatically step out of the car. The director sat down on the ground to choose a camera angle and asked Johnson to get in and out of the car. To their dismay, Johnson could not get into the Porsche. He recalls he looked like a big, “brown marshmallow getting shoved into a coinslot,” as he tried to shimmy into the car. Everyone on set had a good laugh, then apparently found a creative way to film the scene.
Gal Gadot is chillin’ like a villain in a vintage Mercedes convertible
Gal Gadot (Wonderwoman, Fast and Furious 5) plays one of Red Notice’s antagonists, a thief names Sarah Black and nicknamed The Bishop. John Hartley pursues her around the world, trying to keep her from stealing three treasures known as Cleopatra’s Eggs. But Black seems to always be one step ahead.
At one point, Black leaps into a beautiful vintage Mercedes. She floors the accelerator and burns rubber to escape. The result is an extended car chase through an abandoned mine tunnel.
Black’s car is a four-door droptop. It features swooped fenders and a long nose. It appears to be from the 1920s or 1930s. Sadly, at the end of the tunnel chase, Hartley and Black drive it over a cliff and into a jungle lake.
Ryan Reynolds tries to catch up in a Volkswagen Type 181 “Thing”
Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw) plays another art thief, named Nolan Booth. Hartley and Booth are forced to team up and chase Black. Their wildly different styles seem to frustrate one another. But during the tunnel/jungle chase scene, Booth does not sit by the sidelines.
In the tunnel, Booth and another agent pursue Black’s Mercedes. The good guys drive one of the world’s most unique Jeep-like vehicles: The Volkswagen Type 181. The square body Type 181 is nicknamed the Volkswagen “Thing.” While his partner drives, Booth operates the rollbar-mounted machine gun.
