While we may feel that it has been going on for too long, there is no denying the popularity of the Fast & Furious franchise. These films have gained a cult following since the first one came out in 2001 and that following shows no signs of slowing down. The cars featured in the films are arguably bigger stars than the actors and characters themselves, especially the JDM cars that featured in the first Fast & Furious film. Yet what about those cars that didn’t make the cut?
The Fast And Furious Franchise's Rejected Cars
Craig Lieberman on YouTube put together a video highlighting the cars that got rejected from the first film. Some of his cars have actually featured in the Fast & Furious films, such as his R34 Skyline and his Toyota Supra, as well as his Nissan Maxima. He was also a technical advisor on the early films as well and was tasked with choosing what cars would feature in the first film. While the cars from the first film have become icons, it is interesting to wonder how different things might have been had Craig and his team chosen different cars.
Skyline GT-R, Acura NSX, Honda S2000, And More
Supercars and older JDM cars had to be ruled out due to cost reasons; also, the chosen cars had to be representations of current models on sale in the US in the year 2000. And they also had to be predominately JDM cars that featured in the American tuner scene. After considering a lot of cars, such as the Skyline GT-R, Acura NSX, and the Honda S2000, Craig and his team finally came up with a conclusive list of cars that had to be rejected.
Why They Didn't Make The Cut
What were some of these rejected cars then? Well, they put a blanket ban on right-hand drive cars. Anything from Hyundai was rejected, so were Kias, Mercedes vehicles, and even the Volkswagen Beetle was rejected. Hyundais and Kias were rejected because they were seen as econoboxes, and they were not perceived as desirable for modifications.
Mercedes cars rarely showed up in the US tuning world and the Beetle just would not have fit in with the actors and, at the time, was "too feminine." Other cars were rejected but for different reasons. The Subaru WRX was rejected because it didn’t arrive in America until 2002, and the BMW E46 M3 was too late to be included since, by the time it hit US shores in October 2000, the film was virtually wrapped.
Source: YouTube