When watching films, car enthusiasts will typically notice/cling to "nice" cars that they see throughout the showing. Sometimes they're hidden in the background, while a handful are used as the forefront of the film. What better example of this in today's world than Dom's Charger from Fast and Furious?
Nowadays, the ever-present Dodge Charger has become an important part of the franchise. Though, even after being in the spotlight for decades, there's still a lot of cool things about Dom's ride that most people don't know. To showcase these awesome tidbits, here are fifteen facts about Dom's insane Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious...
15 Vin’s Favorite Car
To start, let's focus on the actor behind Dominic Toretto, specifically his relationship with the franchise's headlining car. Vin Diesel (unlike other actors) took interest in his on-screen ride, going as far as to buy one of his own! Honestly, who wouldn't get one in his situation? Heck, muscle-heads would kill for the opportunity to own one; let alone drive it in a summer blockbuster.
14 A Touch Of Paul Walker
Since Paul Walker's tragic passing many years ago, F&F fans notice the hole left in the series without him. Walker's influence on the fandom, production, and outside work helped elevate the Fast and Furious franchise to its current standing. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Paul Walker's insight was influential in key aspects of vehicle design (especially in later movies).
13 Merchandise Galore
Yeah, box office sales bring in a ton of dough, but that's (mostly) in the short/mid-term range. To have your movie (or franchise) make money long after release, merchandising may be the answer. For Fast and Furious, Dom's Dodge Charger is the perfect item to popularize and sell; next to Paul Walker's original Toyota Supra - and sell it did.
12 Useless Blower
Among all the small details/facts about Dom's Charger in the Fast and Furious franchise, the 'useless blower' is probably the most well-known. Yes, the blower protruding from that stunning Charger is as effective as a rear-spoiler on an FWD Civic. Nevertheless, its job was to look cool, not necessarily to produce any real upgrades...
11 Almost 1000 Horsepower
Although not every movie's Charger is the exact same, at least one thing remains constant: the horsepower. Each and every version of Dom's Charger has bolstered upwards of 600-horsepower, some going as close as 1,000 hp! Though the car's blower may be fake, the power behind it certainly isn't.
10 Replacing The HEMI
There's a great deal of things that filmmakers can fake (for lack of a better term) on-screen. For example, using kit-cars instead of real ones/or and rebadging/lying about its power source. In the lore of F&F, the headlining Dodge Charger is supposed to have a HEMI, yet, (excluding F8's turbine) few actually had a real one inside (opting for a Mopar 383/440).
9 Tons Of Iterations
For all the Fast and Furious films out there, there's almost as many different Dodge Chargers that Dominic Toretto drives. In Fast and Furious 4 to Fast Five, Dom drove the same Charger. Yet, in the sixths, seventh, and eighth movies, Dom's Charger is completely different.
Then again, keeping things the same for decades can get old to some.
8 Fast Enough To Escape The Police
Long ago, the Fast and Furious was more about street racing and police chases than international heists or near-apocalypse scenarios. Vin Diesel's character was all too familiar with these high-speed races; more so in his signature Dodge Charger in the later movies.
It has to be said, though: with what the movie tells us about Dom's car (in terms of canon, not necessarily real-life horsepower figures), it really could escape a police convoy. Nevertheless, nothing can outrun a radio and a city full of cops. Moral of the story, don't try that stuff at home...
7 Surpassing General Lee?
As we've stated several times in this article alone, the Fast and Furious Charger is constantly growing in fame; spiking further with the release of each new film. So, we have to ask: "Is Dom's Charger surpassing General Lee in terms of recognition/popularity?"
We don't know the specific metrics behind this question, but with the growing number of Fast and Furious films coming out, we wouldn't be shocked to find out that the answer is "yes."
6 Buy The “Real Deal”
Ever wanted to own the very car you see on screen? Well, you can, since there's a huge market for 'movie cars,' as well as classic Dodge Chargers, in general. In 2019, two version were for sale: one being the silver one-off from Furious 7 and the other from both F&F 4 and Fast Five. Just don't fool yourself into thinking they're going to be 'cheap as chips.'
5 The Lost Mic Rig?
As you can see in the photo above, high-budget film productions will often use a "chase car" or a "mic rig" (an on-vehicle camera mount) for rolling scenes. There's one for Paul Walker's orange Supra, however, none have been found for the original Dodge Charger. We don't know for sure if they used one, but, if they did, it's out there somewhere...
4 The OG Lives
Amazingly enough, the first Dodge Charger used in the original film The Fast and The Furious is still alive and kicking today! As you'd probably guess, the car was acquired through an auction for a hefty price-tag. Now, it's more than likely living a peaceful life as a 'garage queen.'
3 Isn’t Always A ‘70s Charger
We've been over how the engine wasn't always the same, nor the exterior modifications and body kits. With that knowledge, it's not much of a stretch to assume that the Charger's model year was all but consistent. Some films featured a 1970 Dodge Charger, when later ones bounced back and forth between 1968 and '69 models. Only die-hard fans will pick-up the differences, but they're still there.
2 The Meaning Behind Dom’s Ride
In the Fast and Furious lore, so to speak, Dom's Dodge Charger didn't always invoke memories of happiness and friendship. Quite the contrary, really. According to the films, Dom and his father built the Charger together, but it wasn't quite finished before Dom's dad died in a stock car crash.
He associates the car with bad luck for a while, yet, when Brian and Letty get into trouble, he has no choice but to pull off the covers and get behind the Charger's wheel, once again.
1 A Staple Of The Franchise
We compared the Dodge Charger in F&F to General Lee in The Dukes of Hazzard for a litany of reasons; the strongest being their status as staples of their respective franchises. What do people imagine when you bring up The Fast and The Furious? Races, action, weirdly convoluted plots (the new ones), and three cars: Brian's Supra & R34 GT-R plus Dom's ever-changing Dodge Charger.