The 1998 French movie Taxi was a big success which led to Taxi 2, 3, 4, and Taxi 5 movies subsequently being released. The movie showcased a Peugeot 406. The French based movie was directed by Gerard Pires and was written by Luc Besson.
While the movie was produced on a shoestring budget, it ended up being a massive success at the box office, grossing nearly $45 million.
The original '98 taxi movie featured some great car chases, but the trip to the airport was undoubtedly one of the best throughout the whole series, with little regard for pedestrians and a culmination of many driving infractions along the way that no ordinary taxi driver would get away it.
While the taxi movie released in '98 initially lived in the shadow of the original Taxi movie which famously starred Robert DeNiro, the French version quickly gained a cult following as is evidenced by a string of successful sequels.
This Peugeot Taxi Could Match Any Muscle Car
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The Peugeot 406 was an ordinary French family car that took birth in the 90s. The most powerful version ever from the factory was a 2.9-liter V6 that made just over 200hp. For the movie, the 406 was modified with a large spoiler, a must for any car in the 90s that wanted to be considered fast and powerful. Even the front bumper was replaced with a more aerodynamic front splitter. In fact, the taxi was traveling at such break-neck speed that it knocked over a speed camera from shocked French police officers standing at the side of the highway.
Before the 406 takes off, we see the driver replace the standard steering wheel with a much sleeker and sportier version, A spoiler rises up from the rear of the 406 in anticipation of the car chase that is going to ensue, and the wheels scream, and the car bellows smoke as it does a breakneck turn to deliver the passenger in time for his flight.
During this epic car chase, the Peugeot skillfully weaves in and out of passing traffic and swerves past an un-expecting bus accentuating the driver's skill and the cars handling prowess. What makes this scene so breathtaking is the camera view switches from an overview of the car to a driver cam view.
The Peugeot was traveling so fast that the passenger, albeit in a rush, was starting to be filled with trepidation due to the unnatural speed that the car was traveling at.
The Car Chase In This Movie Was Epic, And For Good Reason
While most car chase scenes in big-screen movies are somewhat staged and directors use tricks to make the car appear to be going faster than it actually was. This was not the case in this movie as the director simply allowed the highly modified Peugeot 406 to speed through the streets of Marseilles, often clocking truly amazing speeds.
The premise of the car chase starts with a passenger informing the taxi driver that if he is late, he is a dead man, but if he reaches his destination on time that the Taxi driver will be a wealthy man, and he proceeds to flaunt a handful car cash as motivation to the unsuspecting Taxi driver. The taxi driver responds with an all-time classic line,' I’m no physician, but I do like emergencies.'
Given this fact, it is no wonder that this car chase and the Taxi movie, in general, became an immediate cult classic among car chase enthusiasts. It was also quite refreshing to witness a car chase with an everyday saloon as opposed to a supercar being involved. The scene ends with the taxi driver ensuring his passenger arrives not only in time for his flight but can have a coffee and read a paper also. Whether the passenger is fit to do so after this draw-dropping drive is another matter indeed.
The Peugeot 406 Was The Perfect Choice For This Car Chase
While the Peugeot 406 in the Taxi movie was highly modified it was still the ideal choice as it resonated with many European car drivers that could not afford more luxurious cars such as BMW, Mercedes, or Porsche. While we are unsure of the engine specifications for the 406 we can only presume that it was equipped with the powerful V6 engine.
The 406 was marketed as a family saloon, but had far more panache than many of its rivals. Of course, it only made sense to make a French movie with a French car, but the 406 always had harbored dreams of being an Italian sports car.
The 406 was considered much more spacious than many competitors and offered a superior drive. Overall, this car chase ranks in the top twenty movie car chases of many well-known publications, which is quite an accomplishment considering it is competing with movies such as James Bond with a myriad of famous movie cars such Aston Martin and BMW. It is a testament to how good the car chase is that if you are watching it in subtitles, it does not dampen the effect.
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